Parents' Guide to The Addams Family 2

This serviceable animated sequel focuses on Wednesday's feelings of alienation and benefits from the family's kid-friendly jokes and road trip adventures. Perhaps because the first movie was so underwhelming, this follow-up seems a bit more rooted in the family's kooky antics. Since the Addamses visit well-known places on their trips -- like Niagara Falls, the Grand Canyon, Death Valley, etc. -- the movie offers a relatable storyline, despite the family's generally eccentric nature. Isaac and Theron once again channel the passionately in-love Gomez and Morticia (they're arguably the most ardent animated parents in movie history) but manage to also convey -- in between arm kisses and caresses -- how worried they are about Wednesday. Parents will empathize with Gomez and Morticia's desire to encourage more family togetherness as their kids get older.

But the sequel is definitely Wednesday's show, and Moretz's flat, emotionless performance is exactly what the role requires. She does a fine job evoking the clever young scientist's disinterest in anything emotional or sentimental. The writing and comedy gags include a memorable sequence that's like Little Miss Sunshine meets Carrie, as well as a running joke about Uncle Fester slowly turning into an octopus. At one point the word "tentacles" is obviously a stand-in for the word "testicles," although it's unlikely that really young viewers will pick up on that or the movie's other risqué/suggestive comments (usually courtesy of the Addams parents). The subplot about Grandma's Fyre Festival-like event (which eventually features Snoop Dogg as Cousin It) is underused and unnecessary, but it's not featured enough to detract from the main story, which takes enough zany twists and turns to amuse younger viewers.