The Addams Family (1991) 4K UHD Review

Cara Mia

“While occasionally aimless, Addams Family succeeds when these sophisticated oddballs play off the world’s “normals.” There’s not enough of that in this movie. The story concerns greed and the allure of the Addams’ money vault. This script spins norms on their head – as it needs to – by making the pale-faced family gentile heroes who donate thousands to the needy, while stiff and strict lawyer-y types seek some fast cash.”

Read our full Addams Family Blu-ray review for more

Video

Paramount is playing tricks with this transfer. Substantial gains are made in resolution and detail over the Blu-ray. Facial definition looks incredible in close, and wide shots find every ounce of fidelity in the sets. Dust and cobwebs stick out on furniture, adding to the worn look, which this disc also finds room for.

Yet, something is amiss. The thin (too thin) grain structure barely leaves a mark. Alongside smearing, that’s an indication of noise reduction. Addams Family avoids looking overly smoothed or oily (but does so infrequently), a plus, but as actors turn their heads and leave a trail, that’s distracting, plus wholly unnecessary.  Oddly, a few scenes look totally natural, namely the added moments during the ballroom sequence and the school play (the latter intercut with smudgy scenes back home).

Addams Family just misses the mark because of those concerns. It’s splendidly colorful, every primary given a refresh. Boldness in reds and blues make substantial gains, their density spectacular. Plus, the Dolby Vision pass accentuates shadows in full, countered by a pleasingly high peak brightness. It glistens and looks wholly new, aside from the disappointing digital touch up.

Audio

The UHD uses the same mix as the prior Blu-ray. Routine DTS-HD utilizes the soundstage for action or ambiance, although discreet touches struggle to break free. While an early fencing fight clashes in every speaker, picking up a specific direction proves challenging. Even the finale, with hurricane winds, fills the soundstage but flying debris doesn’t pass through a rear or stereo obviously.

Moderate LFE muddies, with a few bold moments – say some knocks at the door – adding weight. Otherwise, the subwoofer accompanies the mix minus tightness.

Extras

On Blu-ray, Paramount only included trailers. For this 4K disc, the studio includes a (slightly) extended version, which includes small additions to the dance sequence. Director Barry Sonnenfeld introduces this new cut (for all of 30-seconds), followed by a 16-minutes retrospective, also with Sonnenfeld. There’s a vintage EPK too.

Full disclosure: This Blu-ray was provided to us for review. This has not affected the editorial process. For information on how we handle review material, please visit our about us page to learn more.

The following six screen shots serve as samples for our subscription-exclusive set of 59 full resolution uncompressed 4K screen shots grabbed directly from the UHD: