Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)-Maggy's Movie reviews- President's Day edition (part 2)

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Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)-Maggy's Movie reviews- President's Day edition (part 2)

Post by Ultra Magnus »

In 1984, Warner Brothers had an unexpected hit on their hands. In the same year that we got Ghostbusters, a new Indiana Jones film, the first Nightmare on Elm Street, Dune, Footloose, a film with Kelly LeBrock completely nude (The Woman in Red), two Stephen King films, The Karate Kid, a Superman movie with a blonde girl instead of some dude in spandex, The Terminator, a Conan the Barbarian sequel, Red Dawn, a Star Trek movie where we find out if Spock somehow survived, and the Never Ending Story, how could a mostly family friendly horror film featuring killer rubber puppets somehow break all expectations and hold the number one spot, even for a week? And this is before we even consider the true cinematic masterpiece The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eight Dimension. Well, at least two fast food tie ins did not hurt. Plus, there is the one super cute fuzzy puppet. Honestly, it did not make much sense, and no one expected it to perform as well as it did, but Spielberg did it again!

So, obviously the studio wanted to double dip on that success. The problem is that the director (Joe Dante) and writer (Charles Hass) wanted nothing to do with the project. They knew it was a lightning in a bottle situation, and the first filmed wrapped everything up perfectly. So, trying again would only tarnish the original.The studio came up with a couple of ideas, but the pair passed. Finally, with Batman (1988) money behind them, Warner came back and offered the pair more than they would ever need again. So, they agreed, as long as they retained complete creative control. And they made the movie they wanted to, in order to kill the franchise once and for all. They made a complete spoof of the original. No amount of editing by the studio could have made it into a serious film. They even had Leonard Malkin show up and start reading out his review of the original to remind the audience how bad he thought the concept was!

It is full of taking the piss out of itself comedy, and it is a blast. Still, if you go in knowing it is a spoof, it is brilliant in its stupidity. And that is part of why it is the perfect President's Day pick.

One of the most memorable scenes from the original was the infamous Phoebe Kates "This is why I hate Xmas" story. That performance was a callback to reality that no, Virginia, there is not always a Santa Claus. So, obviously the spoof sequel needs a scene involving why Phoebe hates President's day.

Yes, this entire review is written based on a single throwaway line from a 32 year old film. Deal with it.


The acting is tongue in cheek, but great. Most of the special effects are perfection, but there are a couple of unfortunate blue screen moments. And the humor is cheesy, but top notch. I normally tell you guys whether or not you will like a sequel or remake by making comparisons to the original. Not this time. This movie stands on its own, and it is a winner... despite what the box office may have said.

If you watch one comedy horror film while stoned this President's day, watch President's Day (2010). But if you watch two while stoned, or one while not stoned, make sure to include Gremlins 2!


DISCLAIMER: My views, in no way, reflect the of the views of the entirety of the TFL Administration team. Please consume herbal refreshments only if you are in an area where and if you are of an age where such activities are considered legal. Please consume responsibly, and in the safety of your own home.
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