Gremlins 2: A New Batch (1990) Film Review

Rating 12a
Length 1h46
Release 27.07.1990
Director Joe Dante
About A group of malicious Gremlins take over a high-tech corporate skyscraper belonging to a media baron. They wreak havoc throughout the building while the Mogwai try hard to regain control.
Moon: None sighted
Where to Watch: Now
Trailer:

The Good

• Everything about the tone of this movie I love. From the distribution animation and the argument between Daffy and Bugs, to the mid-film cut out because the Gremlins were wanting to watch Snow White. I have always love the meta, self referential, films. Probably because this was the first one.
  On that note, there are so many nods to criticism to the previous film and I love the passive aggressive tone.
• This film almost does what Alien and Aliens did and made this almost a completely different genre to the darker, horror led original.
• I didn’t remember Christopher Lee being the lead scientist, but adult me was very excited. This is similar to Alan Rickman appearing in Dogma; it’s nice to see someone have fun and a little unexpected.
• The new Gremlins that appear in this film are creative, funny and gives this film an easy way to not fall into the same plot of the previous film. Plus, we get a Gremlin who is intelligent and can talk, one that is able to go outside and a Miss Piggy- type rival female Gremlin.

The Bad

• Kate isn’t my favourite character and while I love Mr Futterman, I’m not sure I buy him, and his wife, being in New York the way they are. I personally would have preferred to have had Corey Feldman’s Pete, but I guess 1990 wasn’t the greatest time for him and he may not have been available.

The Ugly

• For such a short film, it takes a good long while to get going and the way in which everyone ends up in the same place feels a little convoluted.
• It’s unrealistic. No, hear me out. Daniel Clamp is based upon Donald Trump. You know for a god damn fact that if it was Trump; New York would have been overrun within 24 hours.

Final Thoughts

Unpopular opinion, but I prefer this one to the original movie. It really is so much fun and entertaining.