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Gremlins 2: The New Batch closes off the 1980s and leaps into the new decade by taking a beloved holiday classic and turning the dial-up so high it has divided and alienated audiences for nearly 30 years. I guess that is one good way to describe it, escalation to the point of such extremes that you will either love it or hate it, so take my review with a grain of salt.
Gremlins 2 moves the story out of the small, quaint New York state town Kingston Falls and into the big city, namely; New York City, where Billy, the first film's protagonist, and his girlfriend have gotten jobs in the brand new Clamp Centre, a towering skyscraper constructed by the charismatic billionaire, Daniel Clamp. This building is the perfect location for the crazed Gremlins to return and wreak havoc as it establishes all the dream scenarios that allow for all hell to break loose, while not having to blow the budget on New York City filming permits and, yet, allowing the Gremlins to all sing 'New York, New York'.
The performances reach a level almost of cartoonish nature with enough hamming up to rival a 50s b-movie, something I am convinced was a directorial choice based on constant references and the prominence of that golden era of horror and sci-fi that these films stand to pay homage to. Christopher Lee especially makes the film worth watching, even if he is in it only for a thin sliver of the film's runtime.
The plot being secluded to one building has to be my favourite aspect, though. The fact that the script is so aware of how present its establishing of its subsequent mayhem is, with a tongue in cheek each time a new feature or safety precaution is shown to the audience, makes for a delightful establishment and winding of the spring. It all leads to some wildly entertaining moments including a wonderful finale that the whole last act sneakily builds up to. It slots right into place like a final jigsaw piece and I'm never less than sitting with a huge grin on my face each time I see it unfold.
The creature effects are just as good, if not better (in some respects) than in the first film. A LOT more is happening and a rise in the talent being demanded from those involved are risen to and maybe even succeeded. The puppetry work is wonderful and the new Gremlin designs and what they all do are clever and engaging to watch. It's difficult to decide in which film are these creatures the most enjoyable, even if I do not decide on this film, the fact that I still had to think about it is a testament to just how well they are handled and portrayed.
One issue I myself (and find others) have with the film is that of the pacing in the first act. It's never "boring" but it does take some time to gear up. A lot of what happens here I feel could have been done without. These moments include pretty much most of the scenes that take place out of the Clamp building, they don't feel to add much to the story or characters and are mostly only expository.
One surprising note to make is of a strange thematic depth to the film. There is a lot to the commentary and satire to be found here that I didn't even notice on my first watch. Not saying they are incredibly nuanced, but the fact that they are there, are interesting to consider and not ham-fisted, is a very surprising attribute for a film of this calibre to have. A satire on 1980s consumerism, a jab at the shape of cinema to come, just a magical chunk of Joe Dante’s clearly wild imagination that contains enough commentary to not only stand as a film so perfectly summarizing it’s time, but one that remains alarmingly relevant to this day.
Overall, Gremlins 2: The New Batch is a film not afraid to self-parody and take jabs at itself, it's an exciting and fun escalation of its predecessor and wildly entertaining to watch unfold with all the wonderful hammy acting you could ask for. It's self-aware, clever, and yet stupidly enjoyable.
It opens with an introduction from Daffy Duck and flagpoles the halfway point with a fourth wall break that has the Gremlins messing with the film in the projection booth; both are perfect for the film as it is a slapstick masterwork, seemingly directed by the Gremlins themselves. Although, as I have mentioned, you will either love it, or find it plain stupid. Proceed with caution.
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