By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)
Every couple of years, some entertainment mogul wants to bring The Addams Family back to the public consciousness. They can’t be buried and It’s impossible to change their ways; they’re wonderfully spooky and kooky. As for whether that’s with recognized talents or voice-over gurus in the roles, Gomez (Oscar Isaac), Morticia (Charlize Theron), Pugsley (Finn Wolfhard) and Wednesday (Chloë Grace Moretz) are what they are. To bring to life the quintessential elements of what they are to a any kind of stage has artist Charles Addams grinning from the grave.
The Addams are an off kilter family with a love for the macabre. They live their lifestyle in all its supernatural glory which include staying in a haunted house that wants them out. It’s not expected to learn Wednesday will one day leave the flock. Years of isolation has her curious about the outside world and establish an identity of her own. As with any movie with a tween as its star, it’s time to explore.
Dreamworks’ movie Monsters vs Aliens (MvA) was a great tribute to the iconic monster movies from the 50’s. These creatures banded together to fight space invaders. The two direct-to-video sequels, Mutant Pumpkins from Outer Space and Night of the Living Carrots played tribute to Attack of the Killer Tomatoes and Night of the Living Dead. They were hilariously well done. Fans could see that the production teams involved in those products clearly loved the genre, and that fondness is evident in how these three tales are produced.