Gremlins 2: The New Batch

As you may remember last Halloween I reviewed the movie Gremlins. I didn't know there was a sequel till sometime last year. Usually this is a bad sign, but you can't judge a movie by it's poster. So let's tune into the Clamp Cable Network as I review Gremlins 2: The New Batch.









The movie starts in New York in the shop from the first movie where we see Mr. Wing (Keye Luke) being approached by a man named Forster (Robert Picardo) who asks on the behalf of his boss Daniel Clamp (John Glover) if he could sell his business to him so that he can build this project he is working on. He says no and Forster leaves. Fast forward a few months later it turns out Mr. Wing has died and the building is being destroyed. But, the Mogwai from the first movie Gizmo (Howie Mandel) is still inside. Luckily he manages to escape but two scientists named Lewis and Martin (Dan and Don Stanton) find Gizmo and take him away. Meanwhile it turns out that Billy (Zach Galligan) and Kate (Phoebe Cates) from the first movie live in New York and work at the Clamp Enterprises. Kate is a tour guide and Billy is an artist in the art department. Billy knows a man named Fred (Robert Prosky) who works as the host of this corny horror show as the persona of Uncle Fred the vampire. Fred tells Billy about this new genetic research lab which he thinks seems very suspicious. Meanwhile in the lab it turns out that the two doctors from before work in that lab and the lead doctor Dr. Catheter (Christopher Lee) is planning to do experiments on Gizmo.

Billy hears one of the employees whistling Gizmo's song and Billy decides to investigate the lab. He finds Gizmo and lets him out. Billy tells Kate about Gizmo and tells her to pick him up and take him to their apartment. But a malfunctioning water fountain causes Gizmo to get wet and multiply into four more Mogwai with the leader being a Mogwai named Mohawk (Frank Welker). Kate accidentally picks up the wrong Mogwai and takes them home. But they realise the mistake and just as they are about to take the Mogwai back Murray (Dick Miller) and Shelia (Jackie Joseph)Futterman from the first movie come to visit Billy and Kate. They get the Futtermans to leave and go back to the Clamp Building where the evil Mogwai invade a frozen yogurt bar and eat a bunch of the food there causing them to turn into Gremlins. But before Kate and Billy can stop the Gremlins and find Gizmo they have to go do their jobs. But while Kate is giving a tour of the TV studio the Gremlins invade a cooking show and cause a fire activating the sprinklers which makes them multiply into more Gremlins. It is utter chaos and it gets worse when they break into the genetics lab and drink all sorts of chemicals making them mutate into different types of gremlins like a Bat Gremlin, a super smart Gremlin who can talk (Tony Randall), and a Vegetable Gremlin (OK that last one sounds a bit dumb).

***SPOILER ALERT STOP HERE IF YOU DON'T WANT THE END RUINED***

Billy finds Mr. Clamp and comes up with a plan; they will trick the Gremlins into thinking that it's night outside and when they go out and they will get burned up. Then we get this scene where the Gremlins take over the projection booth and Hulk Hogan scares them off (this scene would be a lot cooler if you watched it in theatres). Mr. Clamp uses his emergency exit. Forster, Dr. Catheter, and Billy try to stop the Gremlins from eating all the chemicals but by this point there are even more mutant Gremlins such as an electric Gremlin and Mohawk had become a spider Gremlin. Meanwhile outside Mr. Futterman hears about the building being invaded so he sneaks in. The plan is in motion but just when everything is going great it starts to rain outside. But Billy comes up with a plan to use the electric Gremlin to kill all the other Gremlins. The plan works and Billy Kate and Gizmo are safe. The End.

***SPOILERS OVER KEEP READING***

Gremlins 2 was surprisingly good. The acting is good and some of the animatronics are better than the first movie. It is also very funny and clever with some of its humor. However it does feel more like a parody of Gremlins then a sequel but that isn't a bad thing. So if this seems like your thing check it out some time. See you next time.