Merlina

So I thought this was going to be God awful like most Netflix adaptations, but I found myself laughing and appreciating the camerawork, the clothes, the colors, the acting etc. The way everything is colorful and vibrant while Wednesday is just colorless and unemotional makes Wednesday stick out so much from being so out of place. You almost can feel how much she dislikes almost everything. She's smart, witty, and honestly kind of scary. Catherine Zeta Jones made me a believer in her from her performance. From start to finish this was a easy and fun watch. It almost flew by too fast and now I want more.

I can't imagine a more perfect casting for Wednesday. The plot is a little hard to follow and people expecting this to be an Addams Family reboot will not be happy, but the show stands on its own. It's enjoyable and unique and definitely worth the watch if only for Ortega's performance. The cinematography is beautiful as well, everything is catered around Wednesday, so she stands out in every scene, even in a school full of "outcasts". I especially enjoyed the juxtaposition between Wednesday and her bubbly roommate. People who enjoyed Charlie and The Chocolate Factory and Series of Unfortunate Events will love this show.

Being a huge Addams fan (owning the books by Chas Addams, the tv series, the movies and, yes, even the cartoons) I've been looking forward to this new iteration since it was announced a year or two ago. I can tell you it doesn't disappoint and, in fact, delivers on all fronts. Following Christina Ricci's iconic performance is a tall order for anyone but Jenna Ortega knocks it out of the park with her portrayal of the titles title character. Her dead pan, sarcastic delivery is spot on but there's a sweetness to get poison tongue... You know, like ethylene glycol.

Rather than compete with the beautiful Angelica Houston, Catherine Zeta Jones brings her own interpretation to Morticia while Luis Guzman brings to life the Gomez Addams as he appeared in the original New Yorker Cartoons. This is a smart move because when it comes to the late, great Raul Julia.... Well, just don't. There's just no replacing him so sidestepping that issue was the best thing they could do.. Who is also here...Thing, that is. Along with Lurch, Pugsley and Uncle Fester.

There are also some surprises in the cast that I haven't mentioned.

Tim Burton has done a terrific job here of both updating and continuing the adventures of our favorite spooky family and I'm really looking forward to season 2.

For the life of me I cannot figure out the absolute terrible takes that the rotten tomatoes website has on actually good TV shows and movies. They literally called this a CW show with Wednesday Addams. I was shocked because I'll be honest this is probably the best experience I've had watching a show on Netflix since the first season of stranger things. Not only is it one of the best shows I've seen this year but it's probably one of the best things that Tim Burton has done in a very long time. Jenna Ortega is the best part of the show but all the other characters are extremely likable as well and nobody is perfect. Which is also the thing that I like the most is that everybody in the show is flawed. It's not super over the top cartoony dark like some of the movies are but it takes a little bit more of a realistic approach with the Addams family personalities and relationships. The Burton monster elements are still there though and they are awesome to watch. If you look at it more through the angle of Wednesday trying to find empathy and a reason to care about the people around her you get a lot more out of it. So for me personally I really don't understand why snobby critics just accuse us of being a cheesy teen drama with a consensus that you would see on CW... because it has a lot more to say than those types of shows and it's also very smart in the approach that they have with the Addams family and their relationship with each other and the people in the town that this takes place in. Please give this a watch this is a good show!

Don't get me wrong, Jenna Ortega's performance was absolutely fantastic. She captures Wednesday's essence perfectly. Pretty much everything else about the show falls flat for me. The plot really doesn't work for me. It reminds me of the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and Riverdale. It doesn't feel creative or inventive at all and just doesn't work for me. The whole "school for outsiders" thing plus murder mystery just wasn't a hit in my opinion. I also wasn't impressed with the casting of Morticia and Gomez and their relationship with Wednesday. Overall, it feels very YA so maybe it's just meant for a younger crowd.