I had watched the original series on TV Land as a kid and then recently watched Wednesday with my family so I watched the two 90s Addams Family movies on TV, as I had never gotten around to watching them.
Barry Sonnenfeld, the director, has an amazing eye for comedic visuals. His camera always moves when it's funny, but stays still when it's funnier. He also has an eye for moody darkness, most of his movies have lots of darkened stages which makes him well suited to the Addams.
Sonnenfeld makes for a good match with the material, since he really mines it for the behavioral and sight gags that constantly litter the film. The jokes are dark, demented, and charmingly entertaining—both as mere observations of the family ("Is There a God?" seems like quite the pastime) and as foils to any on-lookers (what do you mean that's not how a Shakespeare play works?) I really dig this movie's writing style—there's something oddly refreshing about how effective the jokes are. Though it does strain a bit narratively, the humor is enough to carry the film.
Also a big help are the production design (it's one big crazy house), the make-up, and especially the performances. Angelica Huston is spot-on as Morticia Addams, both in looks and in her kinky demeanor. Christina Ricci also stands out as a great Wednesday. The rest of the cast works well, and I'll throw in a nod to Christopher Lloyd as the "long-lost Uncle Fester" who puts the plot of the film in motion and struggles to fit in. The commitment just helps the film flow naturally.
It really is fun - and if the sequel is very good as I've heard, I'm in for a real treat.
