Addams Family, The

Stars: Voices: Oscar Isaac, Charlize Theron, Chloe Grace Moretz, Finn Wolfhard, Nick Kroll, Bette Midler, Allison Janney, Elsie Fisher

Director: Greg Tiernan, Conrad Vernon

Movies cost a fortune to make.

And so, horrifying though that unfortunate 'anything but artistic concept' may seem, the majority of movies are made with paying filmgoers rather than with movie reviewers in mind.

Which truly proves that if you're seeking an art-for-art's-sake film, then this loony animated return of the wacky supernatural family created by Charles Addams in the New Yorker in 1938 and subsequently celebrated as a TV series, feature films, animated movies and even a video game, may not be for you.

And so, sensibly loosed into cinemas at Halloween, Morticia, Pugsley, Wednesday, Gomez, Uncle Fester and Grandma return to the big screen in fine animated form.

This time around they have taken up residence, well looked after by their severed-hand servant, in a creepy mansion on a New Jersey hilltop.

Unfortunately, their cheerfully creepy presence upsets reality TV host Margaux Needler who is busy setting up a perfect planned community in the town below the mountain, and sets out to have the Addams dislodged so she can continue her profitable project.

Big mistake!

The ensuing cheerfully crazy comedy once again proves the Living cannot beat the Living Dead at their own zany games as directors Tiernan and Vernon serve up a cheerful salad of batty supernatural sillies that ensure easy laughs from cinemagoers who seek just that.

The vocal cast - Isaac and Theron as Gomez and Morticia, Woflhard and Moretz as their crazy kids (Moretz splendidly sends up American schools) and Midler as Grandma - do all that's required of them and do it entertainingly.

OK, it may not be art as we know it, but so what - it's not intended to be.

Alan Frank

USA 2019. UK Distributor: Universal. Colour.
86 minutes. Not widescreen. UK certificate: PG.

Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 0, Violence/Horror 1, Drugs 0, Swearing 0.

Review date: 27 Oct 2019