Review of Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990) by Derrick C — 17 Jul 2015

Gremlins 2 is more humorous and a lot less dark than the film that preceded it. The beginning and introduction sequence of the original new mogwaiis was well written and the unveiling of Mohawk brought back good memories of Stripe as a Mogwaii.

John Glover who was originally written to be the main human antagonist was just too likable and too hard to hate, forcing his role to be written differently. The film can be almost too over the top for its own good but is a fun and clever take on network era television and the days when shopping malls were getting great business.

The song and dance number at the end is a credit to the film, as are the interview sequences with the Brain Gremlin and Grandpa Fred. The relationship between Billy and Kate and the intrusion of Marlena into that relationship gives the couple from the original film a new element that hadn't been explored in the earlier film.

Gremlins 2 plays on differences from the first one and is highly successful when they do. The take on Corporate America with a more comedic role from the title creatures and an ending that leaves us wishing for more is entirely faithful to the series even if we haven't yet received a third film.