Anthony's Film Review - Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)

The sequel to Gremlins works just as well, with the right mix of familiar and new elements...

Let's talk about sequels. I'll start by mentioning the one thing that bad sequels tend to do: delivering less of what made the first movie great, or not even deliver it at all. Hence, when making a sequel, the goal should be to make sure it recreates the fun experience of the predecessor. Even so, there should be an effort to inject new stuff into the sequel, so that there is also a sense of wonder and curiosity about what is in store that wasn't seen before. In fact, the more new stuff, the better. Sometimes, if the sequel delivers what the first one did but also makes a drastic yet thrilling departure, that could also leave the audience very satisfied.

Gremlins 2: The New Batch is a movie sequel that definitely exceeds the basic minimum of recreating the experience of the first time, while meeting the goal of giving the audience something new. The way it does the former is bringing back the two main characters from the first movie. The way it does the latter is by putting fun and fright into a new location, which in turn provides opportunities for new situations. So rest assured. You're in for a fun ride. As for the specifics, Billy Peltzer (Zach Galligan) and Kate Beringer (Phoebe Cates) are back, this time employed in the same New York skyscraper, though doing different jobs. You'd think they have moved on from the events of the previous movie, but think again.

Remember Gizmo, the lovable creature known as a mogwai? Well, he's back. A researcher from a genetics laboratory in the same New York skyscraper has found Gizmo and taken him to the lab for further study. This is where I should note that the three rules about caring for a mogwai, as detailed in the previous Gremlins movie, are referenced more in passing, such that if you haven't seen the other movie, you may wonder what is being discussed at certain points. But don't worry. You'll get the gist of them as the events in Gremlins 2 move along. But anyway, what happens is that, through a series of unexpected events, a horde of gremlins have spawned and are wreaking total mayhem throughout the building.

So now it's a race against time for Billy and Kate to stop these gremlins and not let them burst loose into the streets of New York. Basically, the same chaos that the gremlins caused in the town of Kingston Falls previously is now occurring in this New York building. All sorts of businesses, from a cafeteria to a television studio taping a cooking show, are experiencing the fright of their lives. Also, there are a few new plot elements that are introduced here, like genetic hybrids that give certain gremlins additional features. The most notable example: a giant spider gremlin.

Like its predecessor, Gremlins 2: The New Batch is a movie that is borderline funny and scary. It's not always easy to mix comedy and horror, but the movie succeeds in doing just that. I should note, though, that some parts of this movie are more gruesome than what occurs in the first Gremlins movie. For me, the most notable example of this involves a gremlin getting killed by being forced through a paper shredder. It's gruesome because the depiction of this is rather explicit and creature's greenish guts are splattering wildly. But if you want some more lighthearted humor, there is some of it. In fact, there are two amusing moments that break the fourth wall. One involves film critic Leonard Maltin. The other involves a film projector mishap. They're definitely funny without being scary.

Steven Spielberg, who is a producer for this movie and the original Gremlins, once again gives us something to enjoy. Gremlins 2 is a good sequel and deserves to be viewed alongside the original Gremlins. That said, there's no need to make any more Gremlins movies for this series. Two Gremlins movies are enough, and it would be pretty hard to come up with enough new ideas to make a third movie just as entertaining. So going back to what I said about sequels, I'll say it again. Gremlins 2: The New Batch is a sequel that is worthy of its original. Not way better, but not at least not worse at all. It's simply more of the same, plus some fun new stuff.

Anthony's Rating:

For more information about Gremlins 2: The New Batch, visit the Internet Movie Database.

In addition, check out my review of Gremlins.