When Morticia Addams births Pubert, a baby with Gomez¿s moustache, Wednesday and Pugsley are less than thrilled ("We want to play with him¿especially his head").

Exasperated by his brood's attempted infanticide, Gomez hires Debbie, a too-good to be true nanny with designs on Uncle Fester's fortune. And with Wednesday and Pugsley packed off to summer school, nothing stands in her way.

Whereas Sonnenfeld's frenetic direction threatened to overpower the first film, here Paul Rudnick's script matches the visuals in both style and energy.

With the new addition to the clan, Debbie's devious wooing, and the children's holiday camp Hell, the strongly plotted Addams Family Values buzzes along with a ghoulish glee rarely seen in kids' films.

As always, the Addams prove themselves to be a better family than the corrupt "normal" folk who despise them, so Morticia and Gomez attempt to rescue Fester from Debbie's web.

Wednesday and Pugsley battle Gary and Becky-Martin Granger, the two dictatorially wholesome camp leaders who ostracise the weaker kids, while fawning over the elite (Shy kid: "I just want to read my book"; Gary: "Not on my watch, four-eyes!").

And a razor-sharp Michael Jackson joke brings this 10-year-old movie bang up to date.

Houston and Julia, and Lloyd and Cusack are fine as Morticia, Gomez, Fester and Debbie, but it is Christina Ricci who shines, displaying a dazzling talent she arguably never capitalised on.

Morbid mirth that draws blood along with the laughs, this family fun is not to be missed!

Rob Daniel