Like the cartoons, it isn't so much what the Addams folks actually do that's funny as what we see them ABOUT to do.
In the earlier film, an unscrupulous lawyer and his wife try to cash in on the Addams fortune by passing off what they think is a phony Uncle Fester as the real McCoy after an absence of twenty-some years. In the second, funnier, film, a serial killer, delightfully played by Joan Cusack, lures Uncle Fester into marriage, intending to kill him and steal his part of the Addams estate. The kids' summer camp experience is the highlight of the story.
Perhaps, though, some people will find that a little of this grim humor goes a long way, and it's true that both films find it hard to sustain for ninety-odd minutes what worked so well in a single cartoon or a thirty-minute TV slot. For this reason, I recommend the second film as the best buy because it tends to get the Addamses out of their house and into the real world more. It becomes less of a one-note affair when the family interacts with more outside sources.
Video:
Good picture quality and an approximately 1.74:1 ratio screen size enhance the viewing experience. As most of the scenes are understandably dark, the video is hard to evaluate accurately, but for the most part everything looks quite proper. Color bleed-through is discernible in brightly colored spots, like lipstick, but it's not excessive, and grain is almost too subtle to be noticed. Occasional rough edges can be observed on vertical lines, but it's nothing to worry about.
Audio:
The DD 5.1 sound, however, is easier to appraise, it's so wonderfully vivid. While deepest bass may not be the audio track's forte, everything else is neatly in place, from wide dynamics to superior surround sound.
Extras:
Now, if only these discs offered something in the way of extras, I would have been totally content; but they do not. English is the only spoken language and the only subtitle option. Scene selections and a trailer are the sole added features. Most other studios are offering scads of bonus materials on their DVDs, but Paramount seems to be the last to get the idea.
Parting Thoughts:
Anyway, if you liked the old "Addams Family" on television, you're sure to love them at least as much on film. If you've never seen them before, you'll just have to trust me: they're funny. Weird, but funny.
Perhaps, though, some people will find that a little of this grim humor goes a long way, and it's true that both films find it hard to sustain for ninety-odd minutes what worked so well in a single cartoon or a thirty-minute TV slot. For this reason, I recommend the second film as the best buy because it tends to get the Addamses out of their house and into the real world more. It becomes less of a one-note affair when the family interacts with more outside sources.
Video:
Good picture quality and an approximately 1.74:1 ratio screen size enhance the viewing experience. As most of the scenes are understandably dark, the video is hard to evaluate accurately, but for the most part everything looks quite proper. Color bleed-through is discernible in brightly colored spots, like lipstick, but it's not excessive, and grain is almost too subtle to be noticed. Occasional rough edges can be observed on vertical lines, but it's nothing to worry about.
Audio:
The DD 5.1 sound, however, is easier to appraise, it's so wonderfully vivid. While deepest bass may not be the audio track's forte, everything else is neatly in place, from wide dynamics to superior surround sound.
Extras:
Now, if only these discs offered something in the way of extras, I would have been totally content; but they do not. English is the only spoken language and the only subtitle option. Scene selections and a trailer are the sole added features. Most other studios are offering scads of bonus materials on their DVDs, but Paramount seems to be the last to get the idea.
Parting Thoughts:
Anyway, if you liked the old "Addams Family" on television, you're sure to love them at least as much on film. If you've never seen them before, you'll just have to trust me: they're funny. Weird, but funny.
Average user rating (1-5):
[release]3846[/release]