Vintage Horror Review: Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)

Horror is one of the few genres where a sequel can often be better than or equal to the original, and Gremlins 2 is the perfect example of that.

If you've seen, or even just heard of the first Gremlins, you know what it's basically about. Cute, furry little monsters that multiply with water and turn into hideous green beasts if you feed them after midnight. Well, Gremlins 2: The New Batch picks up with Billy, the main character from the first film, working as an art director for a major corporation in New York City. Sure enough, through a strange turn of events, Gremlins invade the building and take over, unleashing all sorts of chaos.

While the first film was much more of a true horror film, Gremlins 2: The New Batch is most definitely a horror-comedy, and a pretty good one at that. The creatures are much sillier in this film and have much more of a personality. The film even makes fun of the original movie and has countless references to everything from Batman to Rambo and Frank Sinatra.

Something that I also love about this film, and something I love about any film, is the lack of CGI and use of mostly puppets and practical special effects and animation instead of the then emerging computer effects of the 90's.

One really cool added extra is the scene in the movie theater. If you saw the film in theaters when it came out or watched it on DVD, you probably remember a scene where the Gremlins "invade" the movie theater, ruin the projector, and Hulk Hogan demands they put the film back on. However, if you watch the film on VHS, this scene is replaced by one where the VCR appears to malfunction, only for the viewer to discover that the Gremlins have caused the problems and soon a segment involving the Gremlins fighting John Wayne is shown before returning to the film. This segment is only available on the VHS format of the film and is a really cool addition.

Gremlins 2: The New Batch is an awesome movie that's fun and a classic of 90's cinema. If you havent seen it, buy the DVD, and if you've seen that, look for the added scene on VHS, it won't disappoint.