Wednesday, May 09, 2012

Watch Gremlins 2: The New Batch for Nostalgia and a Few Laughs: A Movie Review


*full disclosure: a blu-ray copy of this film was provided by Warner Bros. for review.

Director: Joe Dante.

Writer: Charlie Haas.

Cast: Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, John Glover, Robert Prosky, Robert Picardo, Christopher Lee, Haviland Morris, Marla Bloodstone, Dick Miller, Jackie Joseph, and Gedde Watanabe.

Warner Bros. is set to release Joe Dante's gremlins on New York City once again. Gremlins 2: The New Batch is releasing on Blu-Ray for the first time May 8th and comedy fans might want to take notice. Many of the characters from the original film such as Gizmo, Billy (Zach Galligan) and Phoebe (Kate Beringer) return for this sequel. This time they are in New York with new jobs and new problems. Gizmo releases more monsters after getting wet and the chaos begins once again!

The story here follows the original film's rules: do not get the mogwais wet, do not feed them after midnight and don't put them in bright light. There would not be a film if these rules were followed. So, quickly, Gizmo is producing a new horde of creatures to be subdued. Billy is once again the hero as he tries to put a wrench in the gears of the gremlins' plan. They want to take over New York City, but logic and courage overcome chaos and malevolent plans.

And Charlie Haas' script is admittedly cartoony in structure. The villains are larger than life, the gags are over-the-top and the film is comedic. Watching one character smoke on an "unauthorized break" and then being reprimanded via video camera made this reviewer laugh. Later, a bat-like gremlin flies out of the building leaving a Batman carricature in its wake is also silly, but fun. Not much later, that same batish gremlin turns into a gargoyle after having fourty pounds of concrete poured onto it. These scenes create laughter despite the silliness of the scenes. And if one joke does not get your gut another will.

There are adult situations here as well. After all, it was the original Gremlins that helped create the MPAA's PG-13 rating. So, it is hard to say who the target audience for the film is. There is ambivalence here. The cartoonish style of the film would make it seem like the film is geared towards pre-teens or teenagers. Yet, the adult situations such as sexual innuendos and allusions to murder make the film more appealing to an older demographic. Either way, this film fan enjoyed the many comedic set-ups and a broad range of viewers will likely enjoy these scenes too.

Gremlins 2: The New Batch was a little nostalgic for this reviewer. Many '90s icons make cameos (Hulk Hogan) and there are lots of film references to be found here. All of these elements, especially the comedic ones, make this film a good watch. Suitable for most families, Gremlins 2: The New Batch is great for a few laughs and those looking for extras will find lots to watch here. Check this one out for a trip back to the '90s when films were a little more innocent and sometimes a lot more funny.

Overall: 7 out of 10 (straight forward story, not too complex, lots of comedy set-ups, good performances).

*special features: over 20 mins. of footage not seen in theatres, a behind the scenes documentary, commentary by Joe Dante, Zach Galligan, Charlie Haas and Michael Finnell, gag reel, alternate home video sequence, theatrical trailer.

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