Review of Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990) by John P — 05 Jun 2010

The sequel to "Gremlins" suffers from a serious case of sequel-itis. The filmmakers tried to make the movie bigger, funnier and scarier than the first, and it comes off as a disappointment.

I can say that I enjoyed the movie. It was much more light-hearted than the dark original, and focused more on the comedy than horror elements. However, this time director Joe Dante not only pays tribute to the slapstick humour of Looney Tunes, he revels in it. It becomes a bit distracting at times.

The film takes place years following the events of the original. Billy (Zach Galligan) and Kate (Phoebe Cates) are now living in the Big City, both working in a huge skyscraper. Meanwhile, Gizmo escapes from the imminent demolition of his Chinatown store and is stranded in the city. After being kidnapped by a passerby who brings him to the building to perform experiments, Gizmo and Billy cross paths. A set of unfortunate occurences follow, leading to the building becoming invaded by a new set of Gremlins.

Though I liked some of the pop-culture in-jokes, overall the movie tried too hard to be funny, leading to more groans than laughs. Still, an entertaining ride.