Gremlins 2 : La Nouvelle Génération

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.

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.

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!

Years after the original outbreak, Gizmo and the gremlins return... and invade the Clamp building (a parody of Trump Tower). Luckily, Billy and Kate are on hand to stop them again, and Dick Miller is ready to fight them to the death. Now in many assorted varieties (thanks to a genetics lab), the threat is bigger... but the laughs are harder.

It's not unusual for horror sequels to become more and more humorous as they go. "Child's Play" slowly became a complete joke as the series went on. The same with "Leprechaun". With "Gremlins", it didn't take long at all -- Joe Dante not only mocks his first film but completely parodies it and turns it inside out. We are treated to an endless barrage of non sequitors, in-jokes, and homages to more than a few dozen movies. Most of the references are obscure (such as Dick Miller killing a gremlin in the same manner as his character Walter Paisley from "A Bucket of Blood"), but that's what makes the film viewable again and again.

Those who loved the first may dislike the second, but those who disliked the first may like the second. That Dante is able to switch gears so smoothly is incredible. With the main characters remaining constant, it should bring appeal from one to the other. How often does a sequel keep the core cast and the director? And dudes, this was during Phoebe Cates' adorably cute phase. Not the sexy seductress of "Fast Times", but a dollface you can't say no to.

I watched this one right after "Howling III" as I was beginning to sober up from drinking Passport Scotch. I switched to Clan MacGregor Scotch, but my belly was full so I didn't drink nearly fast enough. But I think that's quite alright, as "Gremlins II" is a timeless classic that should be enjoyed with a clear mind. (But if you want to drink, drink... it won't make the film any worse.) Did I mention Christopher Lee is in here? He is. Why does he have a pod from "Invasion of the Body Snatchers"? Who knows! But his role as a scientist (not a mad one) is perfect for him, and a nice change from his Hammer horror roles as Dracula (though we still get a nice blood drinking reference). It might be one of the appearances by Lee I enjoy the most.

If you mixed the original "Gremlins" with "Muppets Take Manhattan" (or maybe "The Great Muppet Caper"), it would be almost like this. Well, maybe not. I don't know. But if you get the chance to see "Gremlins II", see it. You've probably already seen it, though, so why am I telling you to see it? You already know. For that one person who reads this that hasn't seen it, you should. Both horror and non-horror fans will love it. Perfect date movie? Perhaps!

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?