When it comes to Addams Family Values, the sequel to the 1991 gothic comedy The Addams Family, there's an unmistakable sense of improvement displayed throughout that forces you to ask yourself: "Hey, is this actually better than the first movie?" Not for a single second do you feel like you're watching a cynical sequel pushed out by a desperate Hollywood; instead, Addams Family Values lives up to the promise of its title: it delivers value. Like the first movie, of course, it ain't perfect, the storyline is barmy (as expected), and there are moments that just don't work, plain and simple. But Addams Family Values succeeds where so many other comedy sequels fall by the wayside because it's brave enough to be different. Whilst the first movie in the series went down the madcap route, Values opts to be something a little more sinister; a much darker comedy in the macabre vein. The result is a comedy movie follow-up that actually feels unique - something rarely glimpsed n Hollywood. It's a sequel to be proud of, whilst the performances from Angelica Huston, Christopher Lloyd and Carol Kane are downright irresistible. Quite frankly, it's difficult to see how things could have gone any better than they did.
Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.
