The kooky and creepy family goes on a cross-country vacation in The Addams Family 2. Wednesday Addams (Chloë Grace Moretz) wins big her school's science fair, receiving praise from its holographic benefactor Cyrus Strange (Bill Hader), but she is embarrassed by the presence of her parents Gomez (Oscar Isaac) and Morticia (Charlize Theron) and her brother Pugsley (Javon ‘Wanna' Walton). To make matters worse, the family is approached by lawyer Mr. Mustela (Wallace Shawn), who suggests the possibility that Wednesday was switched at birth. In an effort to improve his bond with his daughter, Gomez suggests going on a cross-country vacation to Death Valley.
The Addams Family 2 is the follow-up to the 2019 animated reboot of the kooky and creepy family originally created by cartoonist Charles Addams in 1938. The bulk of the all-star voice cast returns, with Chloë Grace Moretz as Wednesday Addams takes centre stage, as she begins to question whether she truly is a member of the Addams Family. Meanwhile, Pugsley, now voiced by Javon ‘Wanna' Walton (Euphoria), as original actor Finn Wolfhard aged out of the role, is given love advice by Uncle Fester (Nick Kroll), who is undergoing some transformative side effects after being a guinea pig in Wednesday's science fair project. Back home, Grandma Addams (Bette Midler) decides to host an epic party and desperately needs the help of Cousin It, once against stunt-casted by Snoop Dogg.
While I actually thought that directors Greg Tiernan and Conrad Vernon's previous Addams Family film ended up being a decent enough reintroduction of the family for a new generation, The Addams Family 2, falls into the trap of most animated sequels, as it sets out to portray new adventures, without first trying to ensure that the story is strong enough. The cross-country vacation narrative allows the family to stop off at locations, such as Niagara Falls, Flordia, and the Alamo, but there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reasons for these vignettes, other than for the family to find creatives ways of getting away from the pursuing Mr. Mustela, who is trying to acquire Wednesday for his client.
In some ways, The Addams Family 2 is being overshadowed somewhat by the recent news of the Tim Burton-directed Netflix series Wednesday, which almost sounds like it would be a bit more faithful to the spirit of Charles Addams' characters, despite this animated film taking visual inspiration from the original “New Yorker” comic strip. While The Addams Family 2 still makes for some wholesome family entertainment, it is still a step down from the previous animated adventure.
