Genius self-parody. I think a lot of people missed the point of what Joe Dante did here.

This is an insane sequel of a movie that was a little crazy to begin with. Phoebe Cates and Zach Galligan return this time to rid New York of the pesky Gremlins. This movie is out of control with all kinds of inside jokes special appearances and vintage Looney Tunes sound effects. Christopher Lee is an evil scientist (a nice touch) and John Glover owns as real estate and media mogul Daniel Clamp. "Gremlins 2" is senseless and a little bit gross. It really plays like a live-action cartoon if that's possible. Once the cute little mogwai gets wet the gremlins go nuts. They do a lot of slapstick and poke fun at a lot of old movies and TV shows. It's a campy good time.

>Interviewer: *"Creature what is it that you want?"* Brain Gremlin: *"Fred, what we want is, I think, what everyone wants, and what you and your viewers have: civilization."* Grogu's got nothing on this guy, Gizmo is so cute in this one. ***The New Batch*** is more of the same goodness as the first, same goofy comedy, Mogwai/Gremlin madness and amazing practical effects/puppet work. Even more action and creature presence than the first and the campyness is dialed up to 11—which makes it, in my opinion, slightly better than the first! It depends what you're looking for. On a technical level it isn't even close to being as stylish or visually stunning as the first though. The Splice O' Life company setting is perfect. I love the weird inventions in this one just like the first and there's always something absurd happening in the background like that Canadian moose desert, the revolving door at the beginning or the Microwave with Martha segment... creates some really funny moments. The self parody aspect was interesting. The Brain Gremlin, Greta (female Gremlin) and Daffy (hyperactive Mogwai) are my favorites. So many personalities. What a blast!

I don't think anyone would call Gremlins a masterpiece. It worked, often surprisingly well, as a chaotic blend of unrelated genres and unrestrained mayhem, and that was enough. Its sequel, arriving a full six years after the original, is both a spiritual successor and a tonal departure, if that makes any sense. It retains the wicked laughs and playful, no-holds-barred character that made the first so much fun to watch, but completely disregards any shred of nuance. Granted, there's nothing all that subtle about microwaving a slimy green monster until it bursts, a particularly memorable scene from the first film, but by comparison that brand of development seems sophisticated. Gremlins 2 is like a doomed sketch comedy show, all distracted energy and crazy ideas without much focus. We've got mutated Gremlins with only the loosest of explanations (example: a veggie monster who's sampled tomato DNA). There's an ultra-shallow satire of Donald Trump, an out-of-touch media mogul who somehow does an about-face to play one of the story's heroes. Hulk Hogan directly addresses the camera. Grandpa Munster leaves the set of his late-night movie marathon to conduct a live interview with the monsters' leader (this one sipped from a bottle of brain juice, granting him refined tastes, a revolutionary's vision and a British accent). It's just way, way too much; dozens of patches to cover for a rather simple, stupid script. One caveat: it's hidden behind the crush of outrageous ideas and unhinged madness, but the film boasts a sharp sense of humor that regularly caught me by surprise. There's some genuinely witty, laugh-worthy material here, and that merits mention. Otherwise, consider this a case study for unnecessary sequels. Underthought and over-budgeted.

I think they went for too much of a Looney Tunes approach with this one. Too goofy to take serious. Yet, yes I did love it when I was 11 and still like it. It’s just not scary at all. Which might be what they were going for. Since the first was called too scary for kids. 6 year old me who hid behind his seat whenever the teacher was killed, agrees.