--- title: "The Addams Family: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-addams-family/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-addams-family" critics_score: 58 critics_reviews: 10 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Addams Family (1991): what the critics said Critics' score 58 from 10 reviews: 6 positive, 1 mixed, 3 negative. Most critics like The Addams Family, though rarely with much force. The praise lands almost entirely on the casting: Anjelica Huston’s Morticia is named in nearly every review as the film’s best decision, with Raul Julia’s Gomez, Christopher Lloyd’s Fester and Christina Ricci’s Wednesday close behind. Several also credit Sonnenfeld with keeping the black humour of Charles Addams’ cartoons intact, and the production design and camera tricks draw approving mentions. The reservations cluster on the story, or the lack of one. Even the warmer reviews describe a string of gags and one-liners rather than a plot, and the harsher ones say those gags never build into anything. The spread is wide: six reviews are positive and three firmly negative, with Variety calling it a major disappointment and The New Yorker finding it misses the cartoons’ subversive edge. The Los Angeles Times concedes the visual splendour but finds little to hold the attention. ## Radio Times Rating 4/5. This is a glorious exception to Hollywood's plundering of classic TV series, thanks to Sonnenfeld sticking with the black humour and inspired casting including note-perfect Huston and Julia plus Lloyd as Fester. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-dwjt8o/the-addams-family/) ## Empire — Angie Errigo Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. The critic finds the film ridiculous but fun as a string of ghoulish gags and one-liners in a spooky setting, rather than a substantial story. Anjelica Huston's Morticia is singled out as magnificent and perfectly cast, alongside strong turns from Christopher Lloyd and Christina Ricci. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/addams-family-review/) ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). The everyday story of ghoulish folk from Charles Addams' New Yorker cartoons is stylishly converted into a big screen comedy. It stars Anjelica Huston, Christina Ricci, Christopher Lloyd and Raul Julia. [Read the review](http://www.theguardian.com/film/movie/78447/addams-family) ## The New York Times — Janet Maslin Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 22 November 1991. The critic praises the film as a lavish and funny revival that captures the cartoons' dry, wicked tone through ingenious casting, droll production design, spirited direction, and camera tricks. She complains that the slender plot consists mostly of isolated humorous moments strung together without much narrative substance. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1991/11/22/movies/review-film-the-addams-family-those-lovable-ghouls-revived-in-high-style.html) ## Time Out — DW Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 10 September 2012. For a one-joke movie this adaptation still summons up enough laughs. The chief pleasure is in the casting, with Huston born to play Morticia, Julia as her devoted husband and Lloyd excellent as Fester. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-addams-family) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Rating 2.5/4. 22 November 1991. The critic finds the film mildly entertaining but ultimately flat, with isolated funny moments that fail to build into sustained comedy. He praises the cast chemistry, especially Raul Julia and Anjelica Huston, and the visual fidelity to the original cartoons. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-addams-family-1991) ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 22 November 1991. The critic acknowledges the film's visual splendor and correct period details but finds it lacking in dramatic interest or sustained amusement beyond a series of elaborate set pieces. The modest plot and arch dialogue ultimately fail to hold attention despite strong performances from the leads. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-11-22-ca-163-story.html) ## The New Yorker — Michael Sragow Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 2 December 1991. The short review calls the film misguided graveyard slapstick that fails to capture the subversive edge of Charles Addams’ cartoons. It singles out Christina Ricci’s Wednesday and Anjelica Huston’s Morticia for rising above the predictable, sitcom-like script. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1991/12/09/1991-12-09-032-tny-cards-000144985) ## Variety — Variety Staff Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 31 December 1990. The review calls the film a major disappointment despite inspired casting and nifty visuals, as the first-time director fails to move beyond a skeletal plot of sitcom one-liners and visual gags. It notes that the script does not fully realize the potential of the source cartoons or TV series. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1990/film/reviews/the-addams-family-3-1200428731/) ## Paste Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 22 November 2021. The 1991 film is celebrated as a high-water mark for the franchise, with Sonnenfeld's direction capturing the family's cartoonish yet warm tone effectively despite some narrative weaknesses. The cast, especially Raúl Juliá and Anjelica Huston as Gomez and Morticia, is singled out for their passionate, unselfconscious commitment to the material. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/the-addams-family/addams-family-anniversary) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-addams-family.md