As many of you know, on November 23 (conveniently on a Wednesday), and after much anticipation, Wednesday was released on Netflix to many fans, young and old. Wednesday is a TV show directed by Tim Burton, director of many other hit films such as The Nightmare Before Christmas and Edward Scissorhands. The show is an adaptation of the original movie The Addams Family. It focuses mainly on the life of Wednesday Addams and her experience through high school in the 21st century instead of in previous works where the films have focused on the family in their entirety. This show contains eight 45-minute-long episodes which always have you on your toes.
First, let's talk about the cast. This series stars Jenna Ortega as Wednesday, which is the most spot-on casting this show could have done. Jenna is able to portray the classic Wednesday that everyone knows and loves, and she does it with ease. Her commitment to the role was beautifully executed, especially the fact that she never blinked through the entirety of the film and never showed any ounce of noticeable emotion to the camera. She not only executed the monotone facial expressions, but when it came to an emotional scene, she knew exactly how to express the slightest amount of sadness, fear, or anger that told the audience how she really felt, giving everyone the perfect teenage Wednesday. There were also many other notable roles, such as Christina Ricci, who played young Wednesday in the 1991 movie. The complete opposite of Wednesday, she played a teacher who ended up playing a very important role in the end of the series, to which she also executed to perfection. Catherine Zeta-Jones and Luiz Guzmán took on the roles of Mortica and Gomez Addams respectively, and although they only appeared in two of the eight episodes, they both did a great job at portraying the two. Zeta-Jones gave an incredible performance of a loving wife and mother, and Guzmán played the perfect father and husband. Burton truly hit the bullseye again with this cast, and everyone fit into their characters flawlessly, making the show an even more exciting watch than it already was.
Not only did the cast exceed expectations, but the storyline was what really tied this show together into one incredible masterpiece. Labeled as a dark-comedy, this show is that and then some. It follows the life of teenage Wednesday Addams moving into a new school for who society calls ‘outcasts’, pretty much children who have abnormal abilities. Her life takes a turn when she finds out there is some sort of monster ravaging around town and the school, killing anyone it comes across. Naturally, Wednesday is intrigued and begins searching for answers in hopes of unmasking this killer. Already, this storyline has everyone hooked whether you are ten or fifty, it is a show for all ages even though it is labeled as a show for teens. While watching the show, there is never a dull moment and you never really know who or what is the true culprit until the very end. There is a perfect mix of comedy along with horror, and of course a bit of romance along the way. Each episode leaves you on the edge of your seat, constantly suspecting person after person, leading you to a huge plot twist in the end. It is truly a series I could watch over and over again just to see how well the characters and plot lead you in the entirely wrong direction. No character is wasted either, each student, teacher, and townsperson have their own story to tell in this, and Burton is able to miraculously weave them all together, each character somehow ending up connecting to one another in the smallest or largest way. Nothing and no one ever really goes to waste, and while it may seem like a lot of moving parts, each one of those parts has a significant impact on the storyline.
Though it may seem like there's nothing to hate about this show, some have complained about the ‘mid’ storyline for the monster. More interestingly, many are discontent with the characters, more specifically the casting and portrayal of some. This hate mainly attacks the Addams family, and the fact that they are labeled as a hispanic family. This is seen through Gomez’s character mostly, but each Addams adds a hispanic touch to their character. It seems many are used to the 1991 version of the Addams family, but the original character depiction is very close to what we see in the show, and the hispanic family aspect is somewhat there to show Hispanic and Latin-American cultures. It is easy to see why some would be mad at this, but if there is no representation, there will be less who are interested in this show as they would be angry for too much modernization. The show is attempting to appeal to as many people as possible, so you have the classic aspect of the original character depictions while also having the more modern mixed family instead of an all-white one. In the grand scheme of things, this is not really attacking the storyline or the cinematography, but really just angry people expressing their negative opinion on the show and not really affecting the show as a whole.
All in all, even though the show only got a 71% on Rotten Tomatoes, it also got an 88% in audience ratings, giving those the idea that it is less a show that focuses on film technicalities, but more on the enjoyment of its viewers. This is a show that is designed for an audience that is there for enjoyment and less looking for the true meaning of Wednesday's character, why Gomez did what he did, and other things similar to that. I believe, though, that overall it is worth a watch, and even if the cinematography isn’t up to the highest of standards, it is most definitely a fun show that easily grabs the attention of anyone watching.
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