Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)
Director: Joe Dante
Starring: Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, John Glover
Synopsis:
A state-of-the-art skyscraper is overrun by Gremlins and only Billy has the know-how to stop them.
Impressions:
I actually read the novelization of this film back in elementary school, but I didn't actually watch the movie until a few years ago. Whereas the first film had some comedic elements, it was fairly genuine in its sentiments. This movie, however, just lets loose and runs wild, poking fun at plot holes and such from its predecessor. (Leonard Maltin gets a cameo to trash the prior film, which actually helped him mend fences with director Joe Dante.) Even the infamous Christmas monologue from the first film gets lampooned here. We're given essentially a buggy high-tech funhouse for our setting and a more varied assortment of Gremlins running wild. Brain Gremlin is easily my favorite. There's some impressive strides made in the special effects and some good creature designs. I enjoyed John Glover as an affectionate parody of Donald Trump and Ted Turner, defying the usual stereotypes of the corrupt corporate executive, and I'm always happy to see a role for Christopher Lee, as a mad scientist no less. If you can accept how incredibly silly this movie is, it's a fun ride. Give it a watch.
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