I saw the Addams Family on the Road...

The sequel to 2019's animated Addams Family feature is an on-the-road exploit. As with such follow-ups as Munster Go Home!, La Cage aux Folles II and Are You Being Served? (yep, there is in fact a movie version, folks), this outing inserts Charles Addams' endearing eccentrics on foreign turf, just to see how they bounce.

The results of such fish-out-of-water efforts vary, but The Addams Family 2 (directed by Conrad Vernon, Greg Tiernan, Kevin Provolic, Laura Brouseau; and written by Ben Queen, Dan Hernandez, Benji Samit, Susanna Fogel and Mychael Danna) works darn well, for like its predecessor, the clan may prove off-the-wall, but its members aren't far removed from you and me. 

I thought the concept was commendable in the prior entry, where Pugsley had to prove his mettle, but it shines even brighter this time out, as the spry aforementioned, along with Gomez, Morticia, Fester (now with a Lovecraftian twist), Wednesday, Lurch, Itt, Kitty and Thing take a road trip in their kooky RV (while Grandmama remains home to throw a wacky party). Alas, the impulsive journey becomes tainted by a legal claim that Wednesday may have been switched at birth, with a dogged attorney and brutish henchman stalking their meandering trail on behalf of a would-be Dr. Moreau. Their travels includes Niagara Falls, the Grand Canyon, Miami, San Antonio, Death Valley, Sausalito and Sleepy Hollow. 

At each stop, they meet diverse people, some nice and some not so (in particular the vapid gals Pugsley dares to impress). The Addams' exchanges with these individuals remind us that we're all spiritual brothers and sisters in the end: our nation's shared strand.   

Addams Family 2 isn't Kerouac, but its humble heart presents the same, salty exploration: a colorful trek that can make one giggle (Lurch's rendition of "I Will Survive" in a biker bar is a genuine hoot) and at the same time demonstrate that tolerance can stem from any corner of win-or-lose life. That's a lesson folks these days should embrace. Let's hope some of the closed-minded who pretend to be open-minded give this one a spin. Maybe, just maybe, its honorable message will resonate. 

I saw the Addams Family (2019)...

Charles Addams' famous New Yorker comic feature has gone through several incarnations over the decades, the most famous being the '60s sitcom, but the '90s movies are pretty darn popular, too.

"The Addams Family '19" is the latest take, an animated submission, directed by Vernon Conrad and Greg Tiernan and penned by Pat Pettler and Matt Lieberman. It returns to its New Yorker roots, perhaps not on all levels, but most. It's modern, after all, and its wry jokes connect to the neo-scheme of pop-cultural life.

In this instance, the vignettes are strung per a television, how-to concept, led by a crafty host named Margaux Needler (voiced by Allison Janney), who wants to revamp the Addams' New Jersey home for improvement (if only to sell pretty counterparts that she can't if the estate stands). The motif indirectly relegates our offbeat family to the Osbournes and Kardashians (if one wishes to push the point), and in so doing, puts the clan in conflict with the so-called, "regular" world: a grand tradition for this eccentric group.

Its interludes make the movie work, bending the confines of everyday existence with skewed sensibilities. These collected moments also bring to mind Frank Capra's "You Can't Take it With You". The Addamses, like the zestful folks of Capra's movie, simply want to enjoy life, even if their antics enter the bizarre, if not sometimes dangerous. 

There's also an undeniable, shared love among the family members, which include Gomez (Issac Oscar), Morticia (Charlize Theron), Uncle Fester (Nick Kroll), Grandmama (Bette Midler), Wednesday (Chole Grace Moretz), Pugsley (Finn Wolfhard), the Frankenstein-ish Lurch (Conrad Vernon), Cousin It (Snoop Dogg); the disembodied Thing (playing itself, obviously); and Needle's daughter, Parker (Elsie Fisher) who becomes a surrogate Addams member, if only by rebellious default. These specialized characters support one another in such a way that most modern families don't (at worst, criticizing one another only so that all stay safe). Perhaps this fond bond is what makes the Addamses so peculiar: ironic, considering that its members have been traditionally perceived as kooky and therefore, some would say dysfunctional. 

No matter the classification or time relegation, I've always enjoyed these far-out folks. This new version of the family is no exception, as it forges forth a cry for acceptance over assimilation. Those who've criticized the recent display of friendship between Ellen DeGeneres and George Bush would be wise to watch this entry. "The Addams Family '19" has the ability to teach, as well as entertain.