The Addams Family 2 Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.0

The Addams Family 2 Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman January 11, 2022

Some properties just endure beyond any reasonable expectation, and one such enduring property is The Addams Family, the "kooky" and "spooky" family that lives in a perpetual state of Halloween readiness and, despite its many outward flaws and oddities, is nevertheless in many ways the quintessential family. Perhaps that is its reason for longevity and endurance -- a funhouse mirror-type reflection of the family structure around it -- or maybe it's just Hollywood not being able to get enough of the profits that follow the name. Either way here is the second film in the newly minted computer animated now-franchise, matching with two films the live action pictures for number of releases (Blu-ray fans continue to eagerly await a full season TV series release). The succinctly titled The Addams Family 2 follows the kooky clan on a cross-country road trip where various examples of hilarity for the family, but not much of a memorable movie for the audience, await.

In an effort to reconnect as a family, Gomez Addams (voiced by Oscar Isaac) assembles the Addams clan for a memory making cross country road trip that takes the family along a journey of highlight reel places, many of which share in common a bloody history or the potential for catastrophe. The family is game, mostly, save for Wednesday (voiced by Chloë Grace Moretz) who despises family time and sees no value in the trip. But come she must and bond she will with her father, her mother Morticia (voiced by Charlize Theron), her brother Pugsley (voiced by Javon Walton), and her uncle Fester (voiced by Nick Kroll). She must also confront her own past and her place in the family; on the trip the Addams family is dogged by a lawyer (voiced by Wallace Shawn) who claims to represent a family that believes Wednesday is their child, not an Addams.

The Addams Family 2 efforts to build in some drama around the familiar familial turf comedy by placing Wednesday's place amongst her family into question. It's a necessary subplot to give some teeth to an otherwise straightforward and bland plotline that sees the family get out of the house and hit up some hot spots across the United States, including Niagra Falls, Miami, San Antonio, and the Grand Canyon where mayhem ensues at every stop (including the film's funniest recurring gag featuring a man attempting to propose to his girlfriend, interrupted each time by some catastrophe of the Addams' own doing). It's fun to see the family operating out of the house, which is missed in much of the movie as it's otherwise an essential character in and of itself, but the writers have done a good enough job of intermixing the family's oddities and peculiarities and penchant for chaos and creepiness into the various stops they encounter along the way.

The film offers the usual stable of technical goodies including, of course, high yield animation that certainly favors something of a franchise-influenced visual structure with odd shapes and angles that accentuate the family kookiness, both on the character models themselves (which are very faithful to Charles Addams' original cartoons) and in various elements, like the family's “half car, half eyesore” camper. Out in the world, it's fun to watch the juxtaposition between the peculiar Addams models and elements and the more streamlined visuals seen in various locations and "normal" characters roaming about the frame. The voice work is excellent, too, blending off-kilter vocal shenanigans with grounded character authenticity and depth.

The Addams Family 2 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Universal brings The Addams Family 2 to the UHD format with a high performance 1080p transfer. The image practically needs no review; "excellent" pretty much sums it up. The picture boasts exceptional clarity and attention to detail; every element the digital animators have rendered for the movie appears with unflinching screen command, whether broad character and environmental models or fine background elements that add the perfect finishing touch to bring the movie to convincing visual completion. Colors are rich and robust as well; the depth and vividness are top tier, and it's fun to watch various real world color explosions juxtapose with the darker Addams clothes and camper. Black levels are superb and the picture is free of any obvious source or encode artifacts. This is a very handsome release from Universal.

The Addams Family 2 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Addams Family jaunts onto Blu-ray with a DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 lossless soundtrack. The track is very full and precise, and even if surround engagement is not constant, the sense of spatial accuracy is is always evident. Musical clarity is rich and lifelike and also well-spaced. The track offers a few surprises that feature some very robust surround extension and stage fullness, including a plane zipping around the Grand Canyon midway through the film. Light location fill is always precise and clear. Dialogue is well defined and lifelike with firm front center placement.

The Addams Family 2 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray release of The Addams Family 2 includes three featurettes. A DVD copy of the film and a digital copy code are included with purchase. This release ships with an embossed slipcover.

• We're Altogether Addams (1080p, 8:51): A closer look at the voice actors and the qualities they bring to the roles.
• Courage to Be Kooky (1080p, 2:41): Accepting uniqueness and how the Addams clan represents the typical family unit and individual human qualities as well.
• The Addams Family Road Trip Checklist (1080p, 4:04): A live action help instructing audiences on what to pack just like the Addams Family.

The Addams Family 2 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Addams Family 2 cannot be described as much more than empty entertainment but fans of the characters should find it a serviceable entry in what is looking more and more like a burgeoning animated franchise, particularly with its $110 million box office, not a poor total by any means in a movie landscape still reeling from the pandemic. As it is the film passes muster for animation quality, voice work, and essential story beats. While not destined to be a classic it's perfectly fine as filler family fun. Universal's Blu-ray is pretty standard and predictably so; video and audio are first-class and the studio has included three disposable supplements along with a digital copy code and an embossed slipcover for collectors. Worth a look.