Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990) Warner Bros./Comedy-Horror RT: 106 minutes Rated PG-13 (gruesome creature violence and gore, some language, suggestive content) Director: Joe Dante Screenplay: Charles S. Haas Music: Jerry Goldsmith Cinematography: John Hora Release date: June 15, 1990 (US) Cast: Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, John Glover, Robert Prosky, Robert Picardo, Christopher Lee, Haviland Morris, Dick Miller, Jackie Joseph, Gedde Watanabe, Keye Luke, Kathleen Freeman, Don Stanton, Dan Stanton, Rick Ducommun, John Capodice, Belinda Balaski, Paul Bartel, Julia Sweeney, Howie Mandel (voice), Tony Randall (voice). Box Office: $41.4M (US)
Rating: ****
In Gremlins 2: The New Batch, director Joe Dante (Piranha, The Howling) places the emphasis on comedy instead of horror. It results in this crazy and more madcap sequel to the 1984 original. In fact, it’s an entirely different kind of movie altogether. I don’t think audiences knew how to react to it given its lackluster box office performance. I thought it was one of the best movies of the summer and, in some ways, better than the original.
For one thing, Gremlins 2: The New Batch satirizes the prominence of the mass media as society enters the final decade of the 20th century. Billy (Galligan) and Kate (Cates) now reside in New York City working for eccentric billionaire/media mogul Donald Clamp (Glover, Scrooged), a character obviously inspired by Donald Trump and Ted Turner. They work at a fully automated “smart building”, a perfect target for the nasty little gremlins.
After his owner Mr. Wing (Luke) dies, Gizmo (Mandel) finds himself in the laboratory of mad scientist/geneticist Dr. Catheter (Lee, Horror of Dracula) located in the Clamp Enterprises building. Do you remember the three rules of caring for a Mogwai? If you don’t, here’s a quick recap: 1) don’t expose them to bright light, especially sunlight (it will kill them), 2) don’t get them wet (it makes them multiply) and 3) NEVER feed them after midnight (or they’ll turn into vicious little monsters). I’m sure you’ve already guessed that all three rules get broken (AGAIN!) and the gremlins proceed to wreak havoc and mayhem throughout the building. Once again, it’s up to Billy and Kate to set things right and restore order to their workplace.
Billy learns that his old furry friend Gizmo is in the building and rescues him before Dr. Catheter can do something truly heinous to him. It doesn’t take long for somebody to get Gizmo wet and for the new Mogwais to eat after midnight. When the transformed gremlins hatch from their cocoons, it’s complete anarchy as they run rampant all over the building. The laboratory contains many different serums (he’s been doing some genetic experimentation) which the gremlins get a hold of and drink resulting in some even scarier little creatures. One spouts bat wings and another grows spider legs, but the leader increases his intelligence and develops the power of speech, voice provided by Tony Randall (The Odd Couple).
Meanwhile, Clamp and his head of security Forster (Picardo, Innerspace) try to keep things under wraps as the billionaire doesn’t want any bad publicity. Unfortunately for him, he has a TV studio in the building and Grandpa Fred (Prosky, Last Action Hero), the host of a late night horror movie program, reports the gremlins’ malicious activities on a live broadcast from the building.
Gremlins 2: The New Batch is a wild cinematic ride and one hell of a way to kick off the first summer movie season of the 90s. It’s a dead-on spoof of the corporate world and the mentality associated with it. It’s here that one of the movie’s funniest and most annoying characters figures into the story, Billy’s supervisor Marla Bloodstone (Morris, Sixteen Candles). She’s a company woman all the way. She thinks only of the workplace. When it comes to personal interaction with the employees, it’s all about the company, forget about what might be going on with the individual. When Billy tells her that he’s doing his best with an important project, Marla curtly replies, “Do better”. Dante understands corporate mentality and uses it to hilarious advantage in this movie.
In addition, Gremlins 2: The New Batch has an anarchic spirit and a twisted sense of humor. The viewer knows immediately they’re in for a wild time when the movie opens with Looney Tunes characters Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck fighting over who gets to appear with the animated studio logo. Dante maintains this spirit as the action shifts into live-action mode and doesn’t let up for the next 106 minutes. I won’t give away the movie’s best gag, but I will say it’s obviously the filmmakers’ response to the controversy surrounding the first movie. There’s a hilariously deadpan cameo from Paul Bartel (Eating Raoul) as an annoyed theater manager. It also has cameos by Hulk Hogan, Henry Gibson, John Astin, Bubba Smith, Dick Butkus, Kathleen Freeman, Jason Presson and Dante himself in addition to appearances by Dante regulars like Dick Miller and Belinda Balaski.
Galligan and Cates are great as the two small-townies trying to make in the huge corporate world. In other words, they’re little minnows in the big blue ocean. Glover is hysterical as Donald Clamp, he really has the whole Trump/Turner thing down perfectly. Yes, there’s a joke about colorization. Morris delivers a painfully accurate portrayal of a mid-level corporate idiot savant. Prosky does great as the aging TV show host who bears a striking resemblance to Grandpa Munster/Al Lewis. Hammer horror vet Lee practically steals the show as the mad doctor.
Once again, the puppetry effects by Rick Baker are exceptional. Instead of repeating what his predecessor Chris Walas did, he takes things to the next level by creating a variety of evil gremlins. This, my friends, is proof of the superiority of old school effects. CGI would just ruin it which is why I’m dead-set against a new Gremlins movie.
Gremlins 2: The New Batch is AWESOME! Dante takes the sequel in a bold direction with all the subversive humor and meta moments. Where else will you see a Busby Berkeley-esque musical number starring hundreds of grotesque little monsters? Not too many places, that’s for sure. This one will definitely appeal to those with a really warped sense of humor.
