Creepy, Kooky Animated Clan makes a diminished comeback

Building on 2019’s solidly entertaining animated entry, “The Addams Family 2” remains bonkers and fun, but it lacks the warmth of the previous film and also feels more youthful. The Animated Family is always fun to watch, but the story is aimed at younger viewers, this time lacking in cohesion and storytelling focus.

Wednesday Addams (voiced by Chloë Grace Moretz) gets into a project very similar to Addams at her school’s mundane science fair, and although she asked parents Gomez (Oscar Isaac) and Morticia (Charlize Theron) not to make an appearance, they show up, strong and proud. Wednesday discovered how to share personality traits between creatures using fragments of their DNA in a drink, a discovery that caught the attention of rich tech genius Cyrus Strange (Bill Hader).

Her school, on the other hand, prefers to hand each child a participation trophy, and as a result, Wednesday’s disappointment (and perhaps a little clinical depression) causes her to withdraw from her parents, especially after an annoying lawyer ( Wallace Shawn) shows with the news that Wednesday might not be an Addams after all.

Pugsley (Javon Walton), for his part, continues to blow things up, but he’s struggling to figure out how to talk to girls. He’s goofy and awkward, especially compared to his good-talking dad, so Gomez appoints Fester (Nick Kroll) to help him. It is not going so well. As the two children grow up quickly and a dark cloud looms over Wednesday’s parentage, Gomez and Morticia decide to take the family on a trip across the country to the country’s spookiest sites.

There are five credited writers adapting the gruesome iconic characters of Charles Addams, and while a team of writers isn’t necessarily unusual (especially in animation), the film’s chaotic attempt to blend multiple ideas into one story. consistent does not work. The writing is segmented and episodic; rather than providing a full story, they created a few connected scenes with gags that only really work if you’re a kid under 12.

Unlike the animated precedent “The Addams Family,” the story lacks the warmth that usually accompanies this wacky clan. Gomez and Morticia remain glamorous and sexy for each other after several decades, and they adore their odd little group, but we don’t really feel it this time around. Instead of relying on the emotional theme of parents and separating children – one heading into adolescence while the other questions parentage – the writers of “Addams Family 2” seem to have forgotten. that young viewers can grasp deep emotional arcs, as families try to reconnect with each other.

The voice of the actors is again gently immersed in their roles. Isaac Gomez’s voice is quite Gomez and raises the question of why Isaac hasn’t yet taken on a Latino role outside of animation. Theron’s Morticia is full of intensity, dry humor and style, bringing liveliness to one of the less active characters. Like Wednesday, Moretz carries the film through its best moments, although the whole ensemble mixes well and injects most of the joy into the screen.

Returning co-directors Conrad Vernon and Greg Tiernan (“Sausage Party”) don’t add much new this time around, and it detracts from the liveliness of Addams. Family life is about growing and growing together as a unit. Wednesday and the focus on his coming-of-age questions are definitely on track for where the family might go from here, but the filmmakers would do well to remember that all the growing pains that their characters feel are compensated by the children who will watch the movie.

It’s clear within minutes that Wednesday’s trip is the emotional glue of “The Addams Family 2,” but no glue can stick when there’s too much lint (or in this case, distracting puns and a juvenile slapstick) at the surface.

“The Addams Family 2” opens in US theaters and airs on demand Friday.