When Netflix's The Addams Family spin-off Wednesday premiered, fans were eager to check it out, and it definitely got some buzz. Opinions on the series are mixed. Some say that it's fun and others don't think that it feels like the Addams Family, but everyone agrees on how talented Jenna Ortega is. Wednesday is given the same nostalgic look that fans are used to, but she gets involved in some brand new situations at Nevermore Academy, the school that she is anything than pleased to be attending. Even though Gomez and Morticia had a great experience there, Wednesday would rather be anywhere else.
It's fun to see how Wednesday stacks up on Rotten Tomatoes compared to the '90s movies about this dark family and the 2019 and 2021 computer generated films. Does Wednesday have a higher ranking?
There are many versions of Wednesday from The Addams Family and it's interesting to compare how each film has fared on Rotten Tomatoes. While some critics think that Jenna Ortega is the best part of Wednesday, it turns out that the show has a higher Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score than other Addams Family projects. It has a 72% score on the Tomatometer and an 88% Average Audience Score. These are both really high given some of the reviews.
In contrast, The Addams Family 1991 movie has 67% on the Tomatometer and a 66% Audience Score. The sequel, The Addams Family Values, which was released in 1993, is the only film to have a higher Tomatometer ranking than Wednesday at 73%. It has a lower Audience Score, though, of only 63%. The Addams Family Reunion, which was released in 1998, might be the least popular of the franchise. It doesn't even have a Tomatometer score and has a 33% Audience Score which is super low. It's interesting that the 1991 movie ranks pretty low given how great Christina Ricci is as Wednesday. It's fun seeing Ricci in the Wednesday cast as Marilyn Thornhill.
Both of the computer-generated Addams Family films have fairly low Rotten Tomatoes rankings. The Addams Family, which was released in 2019 and has Charlize Theron as the voice of Morticia Addams and Chloe Grace Mortez as the voice of Wednesday Adams, only has 45% and 69%. The Addams Family 2, which was released in 2021, did even worse on Rotten Tomatoes. It has 28% on the Tomatometer and a 69% Audience Score.
What explains Wednesday's high Average Audience Score? It's possible to argue that while fans and critics do wish that there were more Addams Family vibes in the Netflix series, it's still an enjoyable viewing experience. Wednesday has well-drawn characters and Wednesday's funniest quotes are spot-on. It's also fun to see Jenna Ortega, the Scream Queen of 2022, continue to thrive in her acting career. After playing Ellie Alvarez in You and Tara Carpenter in Scream (2022), Ortega shows that she can take on basically any role and excel.
What might explain the low Rotten Tomatoes ratings for the other Addams Family films? For one thing, the movies were made in the early 1990s and it's possible to say that they feel a bit dated by now. The 2019 and 2021 movies also didn't strike a chord with fans the way that the '90s movies did, with many preferring the earlier ones.
It's also interesting to note that the reviews of the 1991 The Addams Family weren't amazing. While the film explores the great relationship between Morticia and Gomez Addams, it didn't impress critics all that much. For fans, it's just fun and campy enough, and it's endlessly entertaining to see how this family differs from other ones.
While some Addams Family fans aren't completely happy with Wednesday, its high Audience Score could be because it works at a standalone show. Those who aren't super familiar with the franchise might genuinely enjoy it. Nevermore Academy has the same vibe of Hogwarts and the students are different since they each have magical abilities or something that makes them stick out. At Nevermore, their uniqueness is celebrated, which is a nice, positive message to see.
There are also some fun storylines focused on the monster, an annual boat race at the school, and a visit to a pioneer village where every student has to volunteer. While these things might make Wednesday feel like any other teenage horror show, they are still great plotlines.
While The Addams Family Values has a slightly higher Tomatometer ranking than Wednesday, the Netflix spin-off definitely has a higher Audience Score, which suggests that even if there are some problems, the show is generally considered to be solid. If the show is given a second season renewal, it will be interesting to see the reaction to those new episodes.