The Addams Family has had a death... Fester Addams. But lo and behold, their lawyer knows a man who resembles Fester and if he passes the impostor off, could gain access to the family vault, full of treasures untold. But can the fake Fester survive the family's maniacal games?

I don't have much experience with older incarnations of the Addams Family. So, I can't make an educated comparison. However, this film excels in every way: macabre, humorous and just plain eccentrically absurd. The casting is also amazing... Raul Julia in the performance of his career, and Christopher Lloyd in a very offebeat role even for him.

This was a breakout performance for Christina Ricci (playing Wednesday Addams). Sure, it possibly typecast her into weird roles ("Casper", "Sleepy Hollow", "Pumpkin") but this is, beyond a doubt, where she fits. She can do drama ("Monster", "Black Snake Moan") but will always be America's goth girl.

This film's dark humor is family appropriate -- cartoon violence, no nudity and marginal language. They simply do not make films like this anymore. Full credit must be given to the writer and director for bringing this family to life in a way that just cannot be repeated. Well, aside from the sequel.