Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
Siblings Wednesday and Pugsley Addams will stop at nothing to get rid of Pubert, the new baby boy adored by parents Gomez and Morticia. Things go from bad to worse when the new "black widow" nanny, Debbie Jellinsky, launches her plan to add Fester to her collection of dead husbands.
Addams Family Values is a sharp, witty sequel that arguably surpasses its predecessor in comedic bite. Raul Julia, Anjelica Huston, and especially Christina Ricci (whose Wednesday is pitch-perfect deadpan) elevate the material considerably — the acting is a genuine standout. The summer camp subplot is inventively satirical, skewering wholesome Americana with macabre glee. However, the dual-plot structure (baby jealousy + Debbie the black widow) feels slightly scattered, and the ending — while satisfying enough — resolves too neatly and broadly compared to the sharper middle sections. Novelty is decent but not exceptional; it refines the first film's formula rather than dramatically reinventing it, and the 'dangerous nanny' premise is familiar territory. Cinematography is competent and stylishly gothic but rarely transcendent.