The Addams Family are characters from a 1930 comic by Charles Addams. The purpose of this comic was to parody the families of that time with a strong charge of black humor. Due to the success of the television series produced by David Levy was launched. Then in the 90s three films about the family were released: ‘The Addams Family, ‘Addams Family Values’ and ‘The Addams Family Meeting.’
“Addams Family Values” summary
The Addams Family uses terror and the bizarre as a method of criticizing the families of the time. Ironically, as dark and macabre as the family can seem, you end up empathizing with them more than you do with the average ethnocentric families.
The film was released in 1993 and directed by Barry Sonnenfeld. This film is a sequel to 1991’s The Addams Family, but it is a much darker film, loaded with black humor jokes.
The movie begins with Morticia giving birth to the new Addams. Upon introducing the new baby to Wednesday and Pugsley, they try several times to kill him. Gomez and Morticia Addams decide to hire a babysitter to help take care of the children. They end up hiring Debbie, who ends up seducing Uncle Fester and sending Wednesday and Pugsley to Camp Chippewa.
The presence of the Addams it’s quite a contrast because the camp is full of happy and privileged people.
Later, the counselors cast Wednesday to play Pocahontas in a Thanksgiving play. However, at the time of the performance, she changes the whole scene and with the help of the excluded campers they end up setting fire to the camp.
On the other hand, Debbie is not who she says she is, as she turns out to be a serial killer who marries men and murders them to keep their fortunes. After marrying Uncle Fester, she tries to kill him multiple times but fails each time. Fester manages to escape and return to his family.
Debbie ends up going back to Addams house with the intention of killing them with electric chairs. But through a series of convenient events, Pubert (the family’s baby) ends up saving them and turning Debbie to ashes. The film ends with the Addams celebrating Pubert’s first birthday.
Verdict
This is one of those cases where the sequel beats the original product. This sequel has much more acid and heavy humor. It has a more adult and bizarre tone of humor, with a strong load of jokes with sexual and dark tones.
It’s a PG-13 movie, so it’s not ideal to see it with minors because it’s a pretty strong humor. The types of Jokes that you miss when you’re a kid, but when you’re older you understand them better.
The film criticizes American society and culture through this type of humor, which I find extremely funny and witty.
