Gomez (Raul Julia) and Morticia (Anjelica Huston) welcome a new addition to the Addams household—Pubert, their soft, cuddly, and mustachioed baby boy. As Fester (Christopher Lloyd) falls hard for the new nanny (Joan Cusack), cynically suspicious Wednesday (Christina Ricci) and Pugsley (Jimmy Workman) discover she’s a black-widow murderess. Though they’re shipped off to summer camp, Wednesday still has a Thing or two planned to save Fester and the family. – synopsis via Paramount Pictures
ADDAMS FAMILY VALUES is directed by Barry Sonnenfeld. Mostly, he dabbles in family-friendly movies like THE ADDAMS FAMILY and MEN IN BLACK. This is a by-the-numbers sequel with almost the complete cast returning. The tone changes when the camp scenes begin with some humor that hits right on the mark.
Cast via Wikipedia
Anjelica Huston as Morticia Addams
Raul Julia as Gomez Addams
Christopher Lloyd as Fester Addams
Christina Ricci as Wednesday Addams
Christopher Hart as Thing
Carel Struycken as Lurch
Jimmy Workman as Pugsley Addams
Carol Kane as Grandmama Addams (replacing Judith Malina)
John Franklin as Cousin Itt
Joan Cusack as Debbie Jellinsky
Dana Ivey as Margaret Alford-Addams (wife of Cousin Itt Addams)
David Krumholtz as Joel Glicker
VIDEO QUALITY 4.5/5
The video is a 2160p HEVC presentation with Dolby Vision. I’m not trying to stir the pot or offend any fans but I am surprised as to the level of care in restoring this film to 4k. It is unexpected is all.
Either way, the new transfer is from a new 4k scan and it is gorgeous. For enthusiasts like me, they maintained the grain for more go a filmic feel to it. The details are crisp with textures and things like hair being sharp. It is so sharp that some makeup stands out more than ever while filming as is the case with all pre-digital films. I also found myself appreciating the set design for the house because nothing is hidden now. The dingy furniture, decrepit antiques, and tattered cloth stands out. A few of the shots with Thing in them have different color grading and the entire tone of the images feels off. The effects stand out in a way that VHS might have covered up. The Dolby Vision allows for natural-looking skin tones and very different levels of ghostly gray. Fester’s skin looks dead compared to his brother who still is UV-impaired but slightly more life in the skin color. The contrasting and black levels are great. With the darkness that surrounds The Addams in general like graveyards or barley-lit interiors of the home, the blacks are inky and have superb shading.
Note: the screenshots have been taken from the HD trailer.
AUDIO QUALITY 4/5
The audio is a lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix. This is the same as the previous Blu-ray release. The track gets the job done with a nice separation of sounds between the channels. The effects are strong and the dialogue is clear as well as prioritized.
SUPPLEMENTS & PACKAGING 3/5
-Audio Commentary: with Director Barry Sonnenfeld and Screenwriter Paul Rudnick
-Crafting Family Values: This collage of images, short clips, and interviews make an extra to explain the story.
Disc Details
Single 4k Ultra HD Disc
Digital Copy
Slipcover included with the initial release
Running Time
94 mins
Edition Ratings
Rated PG-13
Region Coding
Region Free
4k UHD
Video Resolution
2160p HEVC / H.265
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
HDR
Dolby Vision
HDR10
Audio Mixes
English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
French Dolby Digital 2.0
German Dolby Digital 2.0
Italian Dolby Digital 2.0
Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0
Spanish Dolby Digital 2.0
Audio descriptive Service
Subtitles
English
English SDH
French
German
Italian
Spanish
Danish
Dutch
Finnish
Norwegian
Swedish
THE FINAL WORD 4/5
ADDAMS FAMILY VALUES was guaranteed to be made after the success of the first installment. This is a memorable movie for children of the early 90s. Plus, it’s a Thanksgiving movie with an interesting view of the American holiday. The video looks excellent and the audio does an adequate job. The added commentary and new “production” extra are welcome additions. If you’re a fan or looking to upgrade that Blu-ray, check this one out.
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