Summary The Gremlins are back, and this time, they've taken control of a New York City media mogul's high-tech skyscraper.
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Summary The Gremlins are back, and this time, they've taken control of a New York City media mogul's high-tech skyscraper.
Not available in your country?
It is indeed the kind of movie - crude and anarchic, filled with shotgun satire and gross-out jokes - designed to drive parents crazy and fill adolescent hearts with joy. For unfastidious adults, too, it's a great time at the movies, maniacally and often breathtakingly funny. [15 Jun 1990, p.B]
An hilarious sequel featuring equal parts creature slapstick for the small fry and satirical barbs for adults. Addition of Christopher Lee to the cast as a mad genetics engineering scientist is a perfect touch.
Okay, the first film is better, but Gremlins 2:The New Batch is a very entertaining sequel that is by far one of the better ones out there. I think it is more of a comedy than the first film was, the original had plenty of comedy and horror and succeeded in both areas. The plot isn't quite as clever or as wonderfully simple as the one in the original, and one or two moments don't quite work. Still, it is very funny thanks to a good script and efficient direction, and the time just flies by before you even know it. And of course the gremlins steal the show, and boy don't they do it well. They are brilliantly designed, if maybe not as scary, and there is a good voice cast. Tony Randall especially is brilliant as Brain Gremlin. The human actors do a great job, with Zach Galligan more appealing here, he was a tad bland in the original, and Keye Luke is simply great in his reprising role as Mr Wing. Christopher Lee is an exceptional actor, and he also does well as Doctor Catheter. And Jerry Goldsmith's music is again very impressive. I do think this sequel is underrated, it isn't perfect but it is well worth watching. 8/10 Bethany Cox
[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]
Those who enjoyed the gremlin-in-the-microwave scene from the first film will probably love the paper-shredder sequence in the new one. [15 Jun 1990, p.6]
Gremlins 2 is a limited achievement — it’s nothing but the sum of its own whirring pop-culture mechanics. But that’s more than enough to keep you occupied, and occasionally exhilarated.
Gremlins 2 is better than the original, though it lacks the same archetypal horror-movie drive.
Yes, it has some big laughs, and yes, some of the special effects are fun, but the movie has too many gremlins and not enough story line.
Nothing in the first Gremlins came close to being as bad as these early segments in the second one, and because the concept is no longer fresh, and the suspense over what's going to happen is lost, we're ready for the filmmakers to get on with it long before they've finished setting the table.
Cleaner image than the first movie. The creature effects go to the next level too. Great use of all the speakers except the bass speaker which was a little soft. This takes everything to the next level. There is more comedy, more crazy gremlins and that's your lot. Much less serious than the first and I prefer it that way.
I wasn't a big fan of the first movie but this sequel is way worse than the original. It's not that bad but I found it hard to enjoy.
I don't think anyone would call Gremlins a masterpiece. It worked, often surprisingly well, as a chaotic blend of unrelated genres and unrestrained mayhem, and that was enough. Its sequel, arriving a full six years after the original, is both a spiritual successor and a tonal departure, if that makes any sense. It retains the wicked laughs and playful, no-holds-barred character that made the first one so much fun, but completely disregards any shred of nuance. Granted, there's nothing all that subtle about microwaving a slimy green monster until it bursts, a particularly memorable scene from the initial film, but by comparison that brand of development seems sophisticated. Gremlins 2 is like a doomed sketch comedy show, all distracted energy and crazy ideas without much focus. We've got mutated Gremlins with only the loosest of explanations (example: a veggie monster who's sampled tomato DNA). There's an ultra-shallow satire of Donald Trump, an out-of-touch media mogul who somehow does an about-face to play one of the story's heroes. Hulk Hogan directly addresses the camera. Grandpa Munster leaves the set of his late-night movie marathon to conduct a live interview with the monsters' leader (this particular monster sipped from a bottle of brain juice, which granted him refined tastes, a revolutionary's vision and a British accent). It's just way, way too much; dozens of patches to cover for a rather simple, stupid script. One caveat: it's hidden behind the crush of outrageous ideas and unhinged madness, but the film boasts a sharp sense of humor that regularly caught me by surprise. There's some genuinely witty, cackle-worthy material here, and that merits mention. Otherwise, consider this a case study for unnecessary sequels. Under-thought and over-budgeted.
Production CompanyRelease Date Jun 15, 1990
Duration 1 h 46 m
Rating PG-13
Tagline Take Your Batch to See the New Batch.
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA
• 6 Nominations
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