Film Reviews:

The Addams Family

(Barry Sonnenfield, US, 1991)

In the right hands and with the right script, this multi-million dollar update of the 60s television series could have been a real winner. Instead, it is a real loser. First time director (and ex-cinematographer) Barry Sonnenfield has absolutely no control over the embarassingly weak script and fails to guide the film in any coherent direction.

Looking at both the cast and crew, it is amazing that this film failed to present anything worthy of repeated viewing. Despite brilliant casting - Anjelica Huston as Morticia, Raul Julia (surprisingly good) as Gomez, Christopher Lloyd as Uncle Fester and the outstanding Christina Ricci as Wednesday, and imaginative writers Larry Wilson (Beetlejuice) and Caroline Thompson (Edward Scissorhands), The Addams Family stretches good sight gags and neat morbid humour and spends 99 exasperating minutes going absolutely nowhere. Other family members like Grandma and Lurch are left with nothing whatsoever to do. An incredible waste of talent, source material and an unforgivable $35 million. Should we therefore be surprised that a sequel followed behind? Thanks Hollywood.

Rob Dyer