Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990) User Reviews

Respectable sequel

[jhaggardjr · 7/10 · 9 April 2000]

"Gremlins 2: The New Batch" is the 1990 sequel to the 1984 box office hit "Gremlins" which is one of my all-time favorite movies. The sequel is not as good as the original, but its not bad either. Here the filmakers did something different. They tried to make this one more of a comedy than the original. The first film was funny but also scary. "Gremlins 2" plays more like a Mel Brooks-type movie with some of the jokes that are in it. But its hardly scary. Plus, it got a little tiresome to watch the gremlins do some of the exact same things that they did the first time around like drinking, smoking, etc. Nevertheless, this is for the most part an entertaining movie that I'd wish had done better at the box office. I think if they had made this three years after the original instead of six years, it would have done better. In between the two "Gremlins" flicks there were all those ripoffs ("Critters", "Ghoulies" and their sequels) and by 1990 moviegoers became tired of it all. But the two "Gremlins" movies are much better than the "Critters" and "Ghoulies" movies. A good job by director Joe Dante.

*** (out of four)

Disappointing Sequel

[ReelCheese · 5/10 · 11 August 2006]

The horror element of the original "Gremlins" is replaced entirely with lame comedy in this disappointing sequel. Zach Gilligan and Phoebe Cates return as Billy Peltzer and Kate Beringer, now living in the Big Apple. It's not long after their reunion with Gizmo (he's so cute it's sickening) that the little guy is accidentally hit with water and the villainous title characters return to wreak havoc. This time their target is a high-tech corporate skyscraper run by a Trump-like suit.

"Gremlins 2: The New Batch" tries hard enough, and it's certainly original and creative. But it just never really clicks. The film plays like a bad episode of "The Muppet Show" as the cartoonish gremlins sing musical numbers, destroy property and morph into giant bats and spiders. It repeatedly attempts to poke fun at itself, but those efforts, too, fall flat on their face. Maybe the gremlins just aren't cut out for comedy. Chalk this one up as one of the weakest efforts from highly-talented director Joe Dante.

Even more underrated of a film than the first.

[dgb · 6 December 1998]

This film is often looked back on as not only the lesser of the two Gremlins flicks but not a very good movie in general. I just don't understand it -- I love this movie! It successfully continues the underlying theme of the original (unlike a lot of sequels which seem to forget their points entirely): "gremlins" are mythical creatures blamed for mechanical errors (if an appliance is broken, it must have been the work of gremlins). In this movie, the gremlins are loose in a totally automated high-rise office building, already suffering from its own malfunctions, which serves as the perfect playground for them. Charles Haas' script is absolutely hilarious, filled with more movie in-jokes than I can recall seeing in a single movie, and it even pokes fun at the more serious original. In fact, I think many people disliked this film because of its total irreverence compared to the first; it didn't try to be scary for a second and Rick Baker's creature effects turned out goofier than Chris Walas's original creature designs. Just realize...this is a comedy! Definitely worth seeing more than once to catch the barrage of jokes and references...and sit all the way through the credits!

A very similar film to its predecessor, naturally

[r96sk · 7/10 · 8 February 2020]

A very similar film to its predecessor, naturally.

It doesn't quite hit the same positive beats as the 1984 film did, yet 'Gremlins 2: The New Batch' still makes for solid viewing. The Mogwai again look splendid, as Gizmo remains awesome.

There are a few negatives, Zach Galligan's acting was weaker and Dick Miller was shoehorned in, but they don't damage the film all that much.

A sequel every bit as enjoyable as the first movie...

[paul_haakonsen · 7/10 · 8 May 2017]

I am, and have always been, a fan of the "Gremlins" movies. Especially since they manage to combine comedy and horror in a most satisfying manner, but most importantly because of the Mogwai and the gremlins themselves.

If you enjoyed the 1984 "Gremlins" movie, then you will definitely also like the "Gremlins 2: The New Batch" from 1990.

This is a direct continuation of the first movie in a way, and the writers managed to come up with a story angle that supports the transition between the first and second movie quite well.

In "Gremlins 2: The New Batch" Billy (played by Zach Galligan) and Kate (played by Phoebe Cates) have moved to New York and are working for the Clamp company and work in an advanced skyscraper. When Gizmo finds his way to Billy, and is accidentally exposed to water, New York is in for a repeat of the incident that happened at Kingston Falls.

One might think, at a glance, that I have already seen this in the first movie. And you are right, to a certain extend. Sure, there are similarities to the first movie, but everything in "Gremlins 2: The New Batch" is taken one step further. More gremlins, more mutations, more mayhem, more comedy, and so forth.

What I love about "Gremlins 2: The New Batch" is the great ideas for changing the gremlins, as they are exposed to the various formulas and genetic materials from a research company also house in the Clamp Tower. The gremlins designs are just fantastic, and the creativity behind these ideas is just fabulous.

There are also some great performances in this movie. Of course, first and foremost, it was nice to have Zach Galligan and Phoebe Cates return to their roles. But it was equally great to have Dick Miller return as well, despite for a small role only (just as in the first movie). Furthermore, there were some memorable performances by Christopher Lee, Robert Prosky, John Glover and Robert Picardo.

The storyline in "Gremlins 2: The New Batch" is also good, and it matches the craziness, intensity and the unique style of the first movie very well, and then adds a new element to that.

"Gremlins 2: The New Batch" is a movie that you can watch again and again, just like the first movie. And this is one of those types of movies that everyone is familiar with, even if they haven't actually seen the movie. I think that these two movies are definitely something that everyone should take the time to sit down and watch.

Dante does satire and nobody noticed ?

[hitchcockthelegend · 8/10 · 4 March 2008]

I rate both films exactly the same but for very different reasons, the first film was an enjoyable romp fusing horror and comedy to great effect. When I saw that there was to be this sequel 6 years later I was very pleased indeed. What I hadn't bargained for was the sharpness of the writing and the satirical structure that director Dante laid out for audiences to watch.

Focusing very much on the then modern obsessions like tearing things down to build state of the art monstrous complexes, or the need for a better world; be it the laboratory testings for better life forms, or machines to run our lives; Gremlins 2 plays out as a sort of morality tale that sees the creatures themselves as byproducts of the human condition. In true classic creature feature fashion, Dante manages to garner a level of sympathy for the Gremlins. These vile offspring of the offspring are party animals, they have fun, they like to sing and go nuts, they are in short, quite like a stag party on the Costa Del Sol! Throwing in as many film references as it can, Gremlins 2 may have a satirical slant at it's heart, but sure enough the fun from the first film segues nicely into this picture to make this one of the better, and more smarter sequels on the market.

And those darn Gremlins are nastier and uglier than ever as well! 8/10

gremlins 2

[marmar-69780 · 6/10 · 20 February 2020]

Gremlins 2 is film that far more satirical and goofy then the first one and becase of that it was fun to watch in some scenes but in some all of that just become to much and even if some staff or referances and 4wall breaking was nice to see it was felt like out of place and like they tried to hard to make us laugh and cause of that they werent able to achieve their mission,what i like in first gremlins is that it mixed comedy and horror elements rather well and it had a dose of seriousness in it,but this one had none of that,gremlins 2 is at leved down compared to first but satirical jokes and use of said referances will made up for some lack of quality

Extremely self indulgent.

[the_daz · 4/10 · 9 January 2007]

After having a bout of nostalgia, I just finished watching a Gremlins 2-pack DVD set tonight.

I have to say, I thought the first one holds up fairly well.

However, the sequel sadly does not. I'm really quite surprised at the high number of positive reviews here.

This film is terrible.

Don't get me wrong, I love Joe Dante and I can see where he was coming from. He knew it was a totally unnecessary sequel, so he wanted to spoof the whole thing and just have a good time.

He really should've stayed home. This is quite possibly the most self-indulgent, stupid, shallow mess of a film I've ever seen.

There's virtually no plot to speak of. The supposed "main" characters run around like morons amongst a barrage of childish Gremlin gags. Most of which, are plain idiotic and verging on embarrassing.

I felt for the actors here, as they really gave it their all.

I know Dante is obsessed with Warner Bros cartoons, but including Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck in this film was totally unjustified and insipid. Their scene couldn't have been less funny and I can't believe Dante got away with it.

In fact, I can't believe he got away with the whole movie.

When a Gremlin gets milked it makes a second movie

[one9eighty · 6/10 · 12 February 2020]

Billy Peltzer, Kate Beringer and Gizmo the Mogwai are back - but this time they are in New York. If you've seen the first Gremlins film you know what to expect, and you know the rules to follow. Unfortunately though they aren't followed (of course - or there wouldn't be a film), Gizmo gets wet, produces some Gremlins, and they go on a chaos fuelled rampage through a high-tech corporate skyscraper.

This film often gets ignored as a rubbish sequel but in truth it's not that bad, it just tries a little too hard for me. It was made at a time when sequels where the in-thing, trying to expand a story sometimes for artistic purposes, sometimes to squeeze a few more dollars out of a story. Gremlins 2 falls somewhere between those two reasons - putting a decent concept in a new location but not actually bringing anything massively new - albeit a few laughs poking fun at itself. Expect more horror, and there definitely are a lot more laughs - but this is certainly nothing revolutionary which you won't see coming a mile off once you start watching the film. It doesn't take itself too seriously and often parodies itself in-between parodying some of Hollywood's finest films. Despite any negatives I may be writing, it isn't a hard film to watch and can easily be viewed without having to engage your brain too much. Unfortunately though, this sequel won't be a timeless film like the first outing of Gremlins. Decent without being brilliant - 6 out of 10.

Big Disappointment Compared To The First One.Just Uses The Characters As Gags,

[lesleyharris30 · 5/10 · 9 September 2012]

Gremlins 2: The New Batch is not a great movie and a very big disappointment compared to the original.Gizmo isn't that main,the main characters as the new Gremlins,who are causing trouble around a big building for half of the movie.The original is displayed in a sort of old fashioned neighborhood,this movie is completely different,its an a very futuristic place.Once the Gremlins turn into the monsters the whole plot just gets abandoned and its just gag after gag,at once stage they have to stop the whole movie and Hulk Hogan has to put the movie back on,what where they thinking,you can tell it wasn't written by Chris Columbus.

The Gremlins have returned,Gizmo is found by a building where his old owner Billy is now working,and scientists give him water and multiply him.Then the other Gremlins are experimented on and one is able to talk,once again they are fed after midnight,and take total control of the building.Its up to Billy and Gizmo to save the day.

the gremlins are back

[jaws! · 5 December 1999]

gremlins 2 is not a horror movie like the original kind of was, but it's funnier, and more entertaining than the original in my opinion. gremlins 2 is full of movie in-jokes, and all kinds of other goofy stuff. i just believe this movie provides more entertainment than the original did. i wish they'd make a 3rd gremlins movie. all in all gremlins 2 is great fun! i give gremlins 2: the new batch *** out of ****

An enjoyable sequel

[Mr-Fusion · 7/10 · 3 November 2015]

I can't help but think that Joe Dante took on "Gremlins 2" so that he could poke fun at . . . well, pretty much everything. Like it's all one big prank. Not only does he put Gizmo through hell (again), but there are joking shots taken at Warner Bros., Leonard Maltin, a cartoonishly draconian corporate culture, and even the 3 Mogwai rules get made fun of. I'm pretty sure this is set in a cutting-edge high-rise just so Dante can delight in trashing the hell out of it.

It's probably not as memorable as the first, but I do like a lot of the gags herein. Great mischievous sense of humor (*the theater hijacking was cute). I can see why they never went ahead with a third movie; when Rambo Gizmo takes on a tarantula Gremlin, that's probably as far as you can take this. Which isn't a bad thing; at least there's no more female Gremlin (shudder).

7/10

A bad batch!

[adamjohns-42575 · 7/10 · 1 December 2021]

I like the fact that they take the mick out of themselves a lot and they certainly don't take the production too seriously. It's a rehashed version of the original, centred inside a building and without the need to explain the origins of the Gremlins so much, which means that the story can really get going a lot sooner.

I'm not sure that I liked the newly, more humanised and initially fluffier creatures, that seem purely updated for marketing and merchandising opportunities, but it doesn't take it too far. I do like the introduction of the science lab that allows for all sorts of possibilities for further chaos though.

I'm also not sure we needed the Millers to return for this film, but I'm glad that they were able to keep the original leads in Phoebe Cates and Zach Galligan, mostly because I love him.

The story is as you would expect if you've seen the first 'Gremlins' (1984), but with twists and interesting turns that you might not expect.

It probably scores slightly higher for me for nostalgic reasons, but really isn't a bad film to score that low anyway. The only thing, that I would say, is that it is a sequel, which we all know means it has been done before, so we lost the surprise of some of what happened even with the updates that they made.

664.85/1000.

New York! New York!

[EdwardtheBlackPrince · 6/10 · 7 December 2022]

Gremlins 2 had Joe Dante return to deliver a satirical sequel 6 years after the event of the first film. Billy and Kate are now engaged and living in New York. Work at The Champ Center a media and real estate Megaplaza. This same plaza is interested in buying out the Chinatown area where Gizmo and the old man still live. When the old man dies the area is leveled and after being grabbed by scientists. Gizmo finds his way to the same Center where Billy is. They reunite and through another accident Gizmo gets Wet and the Chaos starts all over again. Gremlins 2 is by all means not a forgettable movie. While it is not as talked about and iconic as the first film, it still has to allot of fun and charm going for it. For better or worst. The film takes this more self-aware satire tone to it. With direct knocks to Media commercialism and even going as far as breaking the fourth wall. Such as when the film breaks and we cut to a theater where Hulk Hogan watches the film or a direct jab at Siskel and Ebert with a movie critic similar to Roger Ebert Bashing the first film. So there's a lot of tongue and cheek humor like that and in many ways, it works a bit silly and many moments. This film while some of the humor is rather smart. This one does feel rather comedic with cartoon slapstick and making fun of aspects of the film like not eating after midnight. Despite some of the lesser aspects of the film how you might feel about it. It does feel more of its time. Not in a bad way, but it does still feel dated. As opposed to that timeless Christmas theme that the first has. As for the characters Billy and Kate are more less the same, and Kate has a bit more of a personality in this. The Futtermans return for a small role and even Christopher Lee has fun small role in this as the head scientist. The Gremlins are stills the absolute highlight of the film. And they stills are just s fun as before. While we're limited really to the building the whole film has enough going on and scenery that adds the amount of mischief that they can get into. The effects are still good for the time using a mix of puppeteering, CGI, and stop motion. I also like the liberties they took with some of the Gremlin designs with a Looney or spiked one. To more absurd like a Vegetable, Spider, Smart, and even a Trans gremlin. They're pretty fun designs. Overall it's still a fun movie that does deliver on more gremlins despite its change in tone it's still not a bad sequel and is underrated for its time.

Nearly As Good As The Original

[Rainey-Dawn · 7/10 · 19 November 2022]

Nearly 6 years after the original Gremlins a new batch of them has popped out to terrorize New York City. The group still loves Snow White, junk food, making a mess of everything and scaring the daylights out of the citizens. These Gremlins have taken over a smart skyscraper - it's up to Billy, Kate and Gizmo to stop them before they take over the entire city.

This film is almost as good as the original - maybe just as good. Lots of satirical black comedy here to tickle your funny bone.

I don't know about you, but if I had a Gizmo I'd follow the 3 rules extremely closely - those that are 'born' from Giz aren't cute and cuddly but mean and nasty!

Wroth watching.

7/10.

Underrated sequel

[CuriosityKilledShawn · 9/10 · 4 August 2000]

Fancy some Gremlin Stew? Three underrated sequels came out in 1990. Predator 2, RoboCop 2, and Gremlins 2. I remember waiting in the lobby of a cinema in Orlando, Florida before a screening of Back to the Future 3, looking at the cardboard standees for Gremlins 2 and RoboCop 2 side by side. My 9-year-old self was a HUGE fan of the first movies and staring at a standee taller than me, featuring wonderful artwork, for those sequels was big deal for me. I pity kids nowadays who don't have the attention span to soak up little moments like that.

Dante takes everything that was great about Gremlins and cranks it all the way up to a zillion. The original movie was a dark xmas comedy horror with B-movie undertones. The sequel goes so over-the-top it launches itself into the stratosphere and doesn't come back down until the very, very end of the credits. It's just wall-to-wall mayhem with so many in-jokes it'll make your head explode. The movie even attempts to begin as a Looney Tunes cartoon.

Gizmo, now back with Mr. Wing, escapes the curiosity shop after the old man dies and is found by a scientist working at Splice of Life, a laboratory located in the Clamp Premiere Regency Trade Centre and Retail Concourse (a big skyscraper in Manhattan). Working in the art department of that skyscraper is Billy Peltzer, hero of the first film. Billy eventually locates and rescues Gizmo, but he gets wet before Billy can take him home, spawning a new generation of cute, fluffy, malevolent Mogwai (Mohawk, Lenny, Edward G. Robinson-lookalike George, and the absolutely mad Daffy). They eat after midnight at a Yoghurt stand in the lobby. The following day the Clamp building, and all of the tenants (from the Archery Channel to the movie print itself, leading to an amusing cameo from Hulk Hogan) are besieged by a horde of gremlins intent on mass destruction and good times at any cost.

One can accuse the film of having no story beyond giving the Gremlins a lively backdrop for their wild antics, but when you're having so much fun isn't that what matters most? Goldsmith's score (sadly underrepresented on the 22-year-old Varese Sarabande CD) has a lot more weight second time around, backed-up by a large orchestra and string-based action cues. You'll absolutely love it! Chris Columbus didn't return for this movie, leaving scripting duties to Charlie Haas. He uses the Gremlins and the location to skewer big city culture and satirize business tycoons. John Glover is brilliant as the easily excitable Daniel Clamp, a Donald Trump-like property magnate who has more money and power than he knows what do with.

It's amazing that a third Gremlins movie was never made. Despite it now being 22 years since Gremlins 2 and 28 years since the first movie virtually every kid knows what the Gremlins are and are familiar with Gizmo (who may well be the cutest thing that ever existed). It's still a huge cash cow and a recognizable brand, and why Warner never greenlit Gremlins 3 is puzzling to say the absolute least.

One last thing. Stay with this film until the end of the credits.

Hardcore will never die, but you will.

[southdavid · 7/10 · 1 December 2021]

I think, prior to the most recent rewatches, that I'd have previously said that I liked "Gremlins" a lot but thought that "Gremlins 2" was a bit too zany for its own good. Now though, I feel like the original is a bit lifeless, and tonally confused, whereas this is much more knowing and accepting of its premise and all the better for it.

The gentrification of Chinatown and the death of Mr. Wing leads Gizmo to be taken to the science labs within Clamp towers, the automated skyscraper of Daniel Clamp (John Glover) a business magnate. Ironically, also in the tower are Billy (Zach Galligan) and Kate (Phoebe Cates) who have moved to New York and have jobs in the complex. When the rules are not followed, and a gang of Gremlins are released to wreak havoc, it's again up to the pair to save the tower and the city.

I'm not going to think badly of you if your preference is the first "Gremlins" over this one, but, as I said, you can't argue that this is a more much consistent film. The meta jokes begin before the film does, with the Warner Brothers animation gags, and continue throughout, with the film breaking down and Hulk Hogan threatening the Gremlins to get the film running again. The song and dance routine. Christopher Lee hamming it up. The parody of Kate's Christmas story from the first film. The parody of "Marathon Man". The gags keep coming. I can't do a better job of trying to explain the madness, than the "Key and Peele" sketch does, so I won't try.

The model and puppetry work is better on this film, though some of the composition shots (particularly around the bat-Gremlin and his outside scenes) are looking pretty dodgy now.

Having not expected much I enjoyed "Gremlins 2" a lot and now consider it one of those rare sequels better than the original.

A not-so-fun sequel to Gremlins.

[OllieSuave-007 · 4/10 · 27 October 2015]

Billy Peltzer (Zach Galligan) and Kate Beringer (Phoebe Cates) return in this sequel, working at a giant media corporation. The Gremlin Gizmo has been captured and given to the corporation's genetics unit and, as a result, it gets accidentally exposed to water again and multiplies, sending a new batch of mischievous, hideous and dangerous little monsters lose on the entire building and its unsuspecting staff.

This movie has more gremlins and them doing mischievous things than the first movie, messing with people and playing mean tricks left and right. The special effects on the monsters were good for the most part (some of the animated sequences does fall flat a little) and the music score was OK. However, the comedic and scary moments turn up flat as much of the acting was pretty goofy, including those of the monsters, and many of the characters acted like clowns, especially the dumb twins and the Media Mogul Daniel Clamp (John Glover).

The plot went all over the place and wasn't kept quite together as that in the first movie and there were really no scary or jumpy moments. I wished the story showed more bewilderment and fear from the people who witnessed the gremlins' havoc; but, they just showed casual concern and intrigue.

Overall, it's not a very good sequel. It doesn't have the character development, unique flavor and suspense as the original movie, instead, it's just a wild crazy-fest of gremlins and overzealous humans trying to deal with all the chaos. Stick with the original film.

Grade D

Blame the gremlins for everything

[baumer · 9/10 · 9 September 1999]

To this day my friend and I still refer to the gremiln like he is real. When something goes wrong with my computer, it is the gremlin, when my keys are misplaced and then show up in a spot that you swear you checked before, it was the gremlin, when something, anything goes wrong, it has to be the gremlin. I am actually convinced that Spike has taken on a life of his own (kinda the way Freddy did in Wes Craven's New Nightmare) and lives to make my life difficult. Joe Dante's Gremlin's has had that much of an impact on my life. Gremlins was a wonderful film and it was a little more creepy than it was funny. But make no mistake about this one, it is one of the funnier movies that I've seen. It abandons all that was scary and atmospheric in the first and just adds comedy a-plenty. And I would seriously put this humour up against some of the funnier comdies of the 90's.

This time the adventures of Magwai and Spike reach a skyskraper like building owned by a guy that has to be a distant cousin of Donald Trump. And if you think back to Gremlins, remember how much trouble the little guys could get into using simple household products (microwave, chimney etc ) well that is nothing compared to what they can do at an office filled with the latest technology.

There are also many many inside jokes about Hollywood and such that you have to watch it several times to pick up on all of them. What is also great about the film is the two versions ( one for the theater and one for the VCR ) I remember when I saw this in the theater I really thought something was wrong with the projector when it first went all strange. And I like the fact that the makers of this had the guts and the gaul to try something new like that. It kind of reminds me of Something About Mary when at the end the entire cast is singing that song. The movie never stops trying to entertain, and that is what I got from this film too. It will do anything to make you laugh, even throw in a little Hulkamania when he was cool.

Gremlins 2 is one of the funniest films that you will see. And I'm just a little surprised that Joe Dante isn't still active so much in the business anymore. He made some great films and I would gladly see anything that he puts his name on.

If you haven't seen this film for quite some time, then I highly suggest that you do see it soon. I was browsing through Rick Baker's filmography on the IMDb and I came across Gremlins 2. I rented it the same night and I was very glad I did. Not only did it make me laugh, it brought me back to a time when films like this and The Goonies and even E.T. were made. Movies aren't the same anymore and that is not neccessarily a criticism, it is just a comment pointing out that in the early 90's and the 80's movies were just different sometimes. This is one of the funnier ones, and one of the more entertaining. Do you remember a film by Amblin that wasn't?

Good, Not Better

[view_and_review · 6/10 · 21 February 2020]

New York has enough problems without gremlins mucking things up. That was what NYC was looking at when the lovable Gizmo was pretty much kidnapped by some geneticists in downtown New York. By pure coincidence (read: writer's design) Gizmo ended up being housed in the same building Billy Peltzer (Zach Galligan) worked in. It was only a matter of time before Gizmo would get wet and his evil spawns would eat after midnight (otherwise there'd be no movie).

BTW: what is the cutoff time in which they can eat? I mean, they can't eat after midnight, but at what time can they eat: 1 a.m., 2 a.m., sunup?

"Gremlins 2: The New Batch" was about having fun, they even broke the fourth wall. I admit, it was funnier than its predecessor though it wasn't better. Good, not better.

A goof...

[mag2b · 4/10 · 21 November 2004]

This movie is a goof movie ... Gremlins came out and was a mildly good scary movie.

Then there was Gremlins: The New Batch which was a parody of the first one and was not scary at all but actually made for a mildly good comedy.

I would recommend this movie if you had seen the first Gremlins movie ... enjoyed it somewhat and were looking for a few laughs.

Neither movie is the best at what they are trying to be ... the first one is a B rated horror flick and the second is a B rated comedy.

Enjoy and Thanks for reading my review!

One of my favorite films. ***** out of 5

[pumpkinhead_lance · 21 April 2005]

This here is Joe Dante's best film. It's a delightful and absolutely charming dark comedy. I begged my mom to take me to see this back in 1990 and thankfully I can say I saw this on the big screen.

Years later when I watch it, I can catch all of the little references and nods to other great films of the past. The Warner Brothers Looney Tune cartoons have obviously made an impact on the directorial style of Joe Dante. What's great is the combination of this type of humor blended with these devious little monsters wrecking havoc in the Clamp Building. Speaking of Clamp, John Glover was excellent as Daniel Clamp (a parody of Donald Trump). He's absolutely hilarious!

There are many terrific special effects and sequences in the film. It's hard to tell you which scene is my favorite because I adore every moment of the film. I will say one of the scenes that sticks out for me is when the Bat Gremlin flies out into New York City by day. I just love those excellent shots of him flying through the sky. Of course, the Brain Gremlin and the 'New York, New York' number is fantastic as well. "Is eeeverybody heere?" And who could forget when the Gremlins got their revenge for Leonard Maltin's lambasting of the first Gremlins movie?

All this is accompanied by a fantastic Jerry Goldsmith score (which happens to be one of my favorites of his as well). The collaboration between Goldsmith and Dante isn't unlike that of Hitchcock and Herrmann or Spielberg and Williams.

The film abounds with dark jollity and watching it you can tell that the filmmakers had a fun time making the picture. To include the audience as part of the goings on, is a real treat.

Out of all the thousands of films I have seen, none have been or ever will be more entertaining than Gremlins 2.

I LOVE it.

Comedy horror sequel with entertainment , fun and deft satiric edge

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 6 February 2023]

The sequel to Gremlins is inferior to original that was quite good. Set in a futuristic skyscraper in the Big Apple where the young couple of Billy (Zach Galligan) and Kate (Phoebe Cates) now work for the money-grubbing tech-mogul, Daniel Clamp (John Glover) , in his colossal Clamp Tower high-rise . But, before long , things go wrong , as Gizmo (Howie mandel voice) , the orphaned Mogwai, falls prey to the nasty scientist, Doctor Catheter (Christopher Lee) . Once again , Gremlins , and Brain Gremlin (Tony Randall voice) appearing to cause chaos , as they don't execute the rules , neither warnings : ¨don't expose them to bright light, don't ever get wet and don't ever , ever feed after midnight¨. The Gremlins are back, and this time, they've taken control of a New York City media mogul's high-tech skyscraper !. Take Your Batch to See the New Batch !. Look out , a new batch is on the way !. Here they grow again , we warned you !. Remember the rules !. You didn't listen !.

Director Joe Dante presents a less violent but far more campy vision , paying myriad surreal tribute to soudtracks of movies and with great sense of amusement . Naturally, there're lots of mayhem , frolics , antics and jokes , this all happening at the skyscraper and the result is a gang of nasty gremlins who decide to tear up the building and after the city . This watchable enough motion picture was regular but professionally directed by Joe Dante displaying their characteristic surrealist humor and sense of style . The story is nothing more than a fleeble excuse to string together gags , silly sketches , ironical craziness , several cameos and fast-paced set pieces . Dante is surely right to let his visual imagination run riot , in fact in this follow-up there's more comedy , more irony , but perhaps less inventive . Including ¨The Wizard of Oz¨ and other famous film parodies and other musical extravaganzas of the past . Also incorporates a Donald Trump parody , takes on TV news and body-slams modern urban living with funny action , adding a lot of rapid-fire surreal sight gags . Along with ordinary starring : Zach Galligan and Phoebe Cates , appearing here and there a number of familiar secondaries : Robert Prosky , Robert Picardo , Christopher Lee, Haviland Morris , Dick Miller , Raymond Cruz , Julia Sweeney , Keye Luke, Kathleen Freeman and various cameos , such as : Paul Bartel , Kenneth Tobey , Howie Mandel , Tony Randall , John Astin, Henry Gibson, Leonard Maltin , Hulk Hogan, Bubba Smith , Isiah Whitlock Jr , Dean Norris , and musician Jerry Goldsmish who composes a lively and enjoyable score similar to Gremlis I .

Lavishly Produced by Steven Spielberg , and professionally directed by Joe Dante, but without originality, because copying situations from previous film . Dante's most hits took place when found himself working alongside Steven Spielberg, John Landis and Australian director George Miller for the anthology movie ¨The Twilight Zone, The Movie¨ (1983) in which Dante directed the third segment . Steven Spielberg then hired him to work as director for ¨Gremlins¨ (1984) which was another box-office success. He directed some episodes for the Sci-Fi series "Amazing Stories" before directing his next Science Fiction feature which was ¨Innerspace¨ (1987) which, whilst critically well reviewed, was another box office failure. After directing five episodes of "Eerie, Indiana", Dante returned to the big-screen with the well-received ¨Matinee¨ (1993), an affectionate period satire set in 1962 against the background of the Cold War. Dante spent the next several years working for television and directed a satire on politics with ¨The Second Civil War¨ (1997) . Dante's next two films, ¨Small Soldiers¨ (1998), and ¨Looney Toons: Back in Action¨ (2004) garnered good reviews but were not commercial hits. Gremlins 2 rating : 6/10.

Superior sequel

[The_Movie_Cat · 6/10 · 17 October 2000]

A Gremlins film for people that hated the original Gremlins? Well, maybe not quite. But this sequel does come close.

I initially detested the 1984 film, though seeing it a second time did make me respect it a little more. It's skewed Disney-meets-horror sensibility and sub-Bedford Falls setting is quite literary, and rewarding. The humour is still unfulfilling, however, as it operates at face value. Put simply, an elderly lady crashing through her attic in an electric stairlift is a joke about an elderly lady crashing through her attic in an electric stairlift. In this sequel the jokes have wider, and more irreverent, reference. It even dares to insult the original. Whereas the first took it's time to establish the situation and only really got going in the last forty minutes, the second is a constant stream of gags that begin even before the opening titles. The first is the better film, but Gremlins 2: The New Batch is the better movie.

The first real appearance of the Mogwai, Gizmo, sees him jiving to Fats Domino in a delightfully showoffish scene that only exists to brag about how much more advanced the special effects are. Film referencing is the game here, not always subtle, but diverting. Dracula gets several knocks, most obviously the Universal '31 version. Yet Christopher Lee, who played the count in 1958 for Hammer Films, also gets to double take at the bat homages. And is just me, or is the television "Grandpa Fred" a take-off of Fred Gwynne from The Munsters?

64 minutes in and the picture crashes as the Gremlins actually take over the film. Unusually, two versions were shot, the video version and a cinema one with Hulk Hogan, which I didn't get to see. Though this is pleasing as John Wayne telling them to "go on back to your own movie" is more inspired. Their gunfight with Wayne as he tries to force them out of his film is a nice gimmick, though the makers lacked the guts to allow the Gremlins to shoot him. Still, a nice touch all the same.

Leonard Maltin appears as himself, slating the original movie, while the somewhat silly "rules" of the first are mocked by those that hear them. Another top ‘84-bashing moment is Phoebes Cates beginning another anecdote about how she was made miserable on a public holiday, to match the original's "dad dead on Christmas" story. "Honey," says Zach Galligan, "I really don't think we've got time for this now, y'know?" The rest of the cast look on in disapproval.

The humour is still perhaps a little too unsophisticated to really engage as satire, but as an option over the first it does extremely well. The idea of a sequel trashing its source is fairly unique, and must be praised. The weirdest thing about the film, though, is the hilarious mock footage clip of the film "The Attack of the Octopus People" ("And boy, is it scary!") It turns out that this ridiculous fake clip is actually a genuine film – 1971's Octaman.

Too much distance from the first film at the wrong time, not enough at the right time...

[ElMaruecan82 · 6/10 · 17 March 2016]

1989 was a terrific year for sequels as four of them made it in the box-office Top 10, and three of them would actually have sequels. So I guess when Joe Dante was making the second opus of his 1984 hit "Gremlins", the results of "Ghostbusters 2", "Lethal Weapon 2", "Back to the Future part II"… and on the top of them "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" probably made him believe his "Gremlins 2: The New Batch", would be a sure lock for a great return of investment. It was not.

Maybe 1990 wasn't such a good year for sequels after all… still, my jaw dropped when I read that the film only grossed 40 millions of dollars out of a slightly superior budget. I don't think it's a result even the most skeptical critics expected; something happened there, let's call it a disastrous and unfortunate accident, nothing that really speaks bad statements about the film's quality. It wouldn't have meant much either had the film made it in the Top 10, I don't think "Ghostbusters 2" was anyway superior to "Gremlins 2" but it must have met with the fans' expectations, they had their quartet, Billy Murray's wisecracks, a worthy villain and a larger-than-life last-minute savior… so it was worth the ticket and the popcorn box. So what exactly lacked in "Gremlins 2"?

What didn't lack was the leading pair, Zach Galligan and Phoebe Cates, the cute Gizmo, his evil descendants, including the Mohawk, and the unforgettable three rules that everyone forget. Was there a lack of originality? Not at all, the film does try to play in a different field than the first, starting with the setting. We're not in the Capra-esque Christmas small town but in New-York giant corporate skyscraper, governed by a Donald Trump-like character named Klamp, it's a terrific setting as it defiantly pretends to create a microcosm of the urban post-modern world in a rather confined environment… so that it ultimately becomes the Gremlins' ecosystem. Billy and his newlywed wife work together in the building, he's a shy and obedient executive and she's a competent hostess who tries to fit in New York and people's rude manners.

The heroes are given more depth and character than in the first film but so are the Gremlins who're not just a generic group of monsters. You have the chief, the goofy one with bulging eyes, one with two visible front teeth, some others will be submitted to genetic transformations including gender-changes, one becomes a spider-hybrid, and another turns into electricity… no holds were barred, and we could as well have a Gremlin turning into an apple pie or a rubber duck. Too much fun kill the fun, and it's a pity because one special Gremlin was enough, you know which one I mean: the intellectual sophisticated Gremlin (voiced by Tony Randall) who could finally raise the Gremlins' voices in a more interesting manner than their usually hyena-like giggling that quickly get tiresome. It's a pity that such a scene-stealing character blooms very late in the film, he's one of the things we remember and one of the aspects that subtly hints the sequel's satirical intent.

Indeed, "Gremlins 2" is not like any sequel. For one thing, it's pretty much aware of its status as a sequel and doesn't try to be a "Gremlins" in a building as "Die Hard 2" was "Die Hard" in an airport. The film mocks its own material by toning down the gruesome violence of the Gremlins and emphasizing the jokes and humorous effects. But whether for the Bugs Bunny vs. Daffy opening and some weird comic moments involving a trap door, there is something desperately obvious in the way the filmmakers tell us this is a comedy and at the end, the good gags are quite lost in the midst of these frantic attempts to take distance from the original. Ultimately, what happens with "Gremlins 2" is that it takes too much distance from the first film in the wrong time and not enough in the right time.

Just when you expect the film to go a little further in its satirical approach, when you think the brainy Gremlin, after such a puzzling speech about the notion of civilization, will lead the Gremlins to something more transcending than the usual mayhem or chaos, well, then the film gets back to the whole 'kill them' issue and becomes a standard action movie. The problem is that the efforts to make the Gremlins look so unique and different didn't have, to me, the right pay-off. I actually felt sorry to see them being killed in an equally blind way, the evil savage ones just like the goofy ones, I would have just loved to see the brain Gremlin survive, because he actually had something more human than the others. Why let the 'action' devices kill the 'satire' ones?

"Gremlins 2" is undeniably original, and had better intentions than many more successful sequels, it was also served by a nice supporting cast, many prestigious cameos, from the Looney Tunes to Hulk Hogan, from Christopher Lee to Leonard Matlin, but its self-referential approach must have disrupted a majority of teenage fans who probably didn't get all the references to classic films like "The Wizard of Oz" or "Marathon Man". I mentioned that the first movie also suffered from a kind of schizophrenia as it was trying to be a horror-B movie and a 'family' Christmas story, but those were twists in the formats while "Gremlins 2" tries to be two different things tone-wise, and it didn't quite succeed although it had some great potential.

Three years later, another movie would suffer the same fate, and would be a box-office flop due to a similar misunderstanding, "Last Action Hero". These things happen and I guess some movies doesn't get the recognition they deserve. Bad luck.