Home :: DVD :: Horror :: Frighteningly Funny  

Classic Horror & Monsters
Cult Classics
Frighteningly Funny

General
Series & Sequels
Slasher Flicks
Teen Terror
Television
Things That Go Bump
Gremlins 2 - The New Batch

Gremlins 2 - The New Batch

List Price: $14.97
Your Price: $13.47
Product Info Reviews

<< 1 2 3 4 5 .. 7 >>

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Movie That Proves Crazy Plots Can Be Good
Review: The first Gremlins film was funny, innovative, and creative. The second was very funny, not as innovative, and really creative. Most of the actors and actresses from the first film are back and better than ever. The cute and cuddley Mogwi, Gizmo, returns again to unintentionally spawn some trouble. The first film really took itself seriously. There was somewhat of a dark undertone to it which really took away from the comedy it should've had. This one though goes for all out insanity, and the results are spectacular. A bunch of Gremlins are unleashed within a futuristic office building which just happens to have television studios, complex computers, and a genetics lab. What results is one of the funnier comedies in some time. And shockingly enough, we all rise to greet our protagonist, a fuzzy little creature called Gizmo. A comedy for all ages, buy it today and let the laughs roll on.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: An Excellent Sequel.
Review: Six years later... Now Billy Peltzer (Zach Galligan) and his girlfriend (Phoebe Cates) are new working and living in New York City for a major television network. When Billy finds out that his little friend and pet-Gizmo (Voiced by Howie Mandel) is acutally in the building-where anything could happen. When Billy saves Gizmo from a Scientific Lab (Lead by Christopher Lee) doing experimental work on the unique creature. Then Billy leaves Gizmon for Business. Gizmo gets accidently wet and a new batch of Mischievous Green Meanies is on the loose.

Directed by Joe Dante (The Howling, Innerspace, Matinee) made a loose, wild, wacky, out of control sequel to the Original. This has mostly the same crew and cast, who work on the first film. This is very different from the First-Gremlins, which is Lighter and Funnier than the First. Some might prefer this more to the Original, Judge for yourself. This is actually wasn't a huge hit in theaters but it did much better on Video. Exective Produced by Steven Spielberg, Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall. Watch for:Jerry Goldsmith, Jason Presson, Leonard Maltin, Herny Gibson, Rick Ducommun, Joe Dante and more in Cameos. John Glover is a Hoot as a Ted Turner/Donald Trump type and Lee is a delight as the Scientist. Tony Randall is the voice of the Brain Gremlin. DVD's has an strong anamorphic Widescreen (1.78:1) transfer and an terrific Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, which is Digitally Remastered. DVD has plenty of extras, including:Commentary track by the filmmakers, Deleted Scenes, Outtakes, Tralier and More. Gremlins 2 is the Original Theatrical Version, which we see Hulk Hogan. Videocassette Version was John Wayne in a dubbed voice (Which is included as a Hidden Feature). Be sure to watch to the very end. This is an excellent sequel. Grade:A-.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Gremlins Take Manhattan
Review: GREMLINS 2 originally came out in theaters, some six years after the first film. Back then I thought that it was a sequel that came out about four years too late. This time out, Billy Peltzer (Zach Galligan) and his Girlfriend, Kate (Phoebe Cates) work and live in NYC. Both are reunited with Gizmo, after his owner (Keye Luke) dies and his shop is demolished. Once Gizmo is taken to the building where Billy works, a series of events causes a gaggle full Gremlins to take over the skyscraper, and threaten the whole city as well Directed, once again by Joe Dante, the film has more gremlins than the first film. Some of the jokes are a bit more crude here and the two leads seem to be lost in favor of a lot of goopey goo.The movie is saved for me by actor John Glover, playing a Donald Trump like character, and the great Christopher Lee as a scientist, whose lab is responsible for a creature metamorphosis by the gremlins. Looking at G2 again, after a long time since my last viewing, I found myself liking it just a tad more than I remembered I still think they waited too long between films, and the first one is better.

The new DVD some funny deleted scenes and bloopers The documentary made at the time of the theatrical release, isn't all that good or funny. There's a likable commentary track with Dante, Galligan, and Producer Mike Finnell. Rounding out the disc is the usual theatrical trailer, cast and crew stuff and a not so hidden feature in the form of trivia. A sequel that should never have been made?? Maybe... but since it's here check it out for a few kicks nothing more...***and a half stars

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The only sequel that spoofs the original
Review: This is by far one of the most unique sequels I've ever seen. The entire movie is merely a spoof of the original. I can't think of any other movie that does that, or does that so well. It's obvious the writers wanted to avoid making just a repeat of the first film, which is often the fate of a sequel. Instead, Joe Dante throws some zaniness into the plot to make it a totally original story, with just enough elements from the first film to keep the original Gremlins fans happy. I strongly recommend this DVD!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Howling, underrated classic.
Review: The relative financial failure of Gremlins 2: The New Batch in its theatrical run was one of the gross injustices of late-'80s, early-'90s cinema. Gremlins 2 is superior to the first in every single way -- richer, funnier, faster-moving, better lit and shot, far better acted, and the script by Charlie Haas is light years ahead of its clumsy Chris Columbus-scripted predecessor.

Gremlins 2 gets my vote for best sequel of all time. While The Godfather, Part II, Terminator 2 and The Empire Strikes Back tend to lead that poll, all these previous entries had pretty strong predecessors. On the other hand, Gremlins, the original film, was an interesting and sometimes funny little film, but Gremlins 2 really improved on every front and came up with something nobody has ever seen before.

Zach Galligan and Phoebe Cates are ten times more interesting in the sequel than in the original, probably thanks to the script. As a condition for director Joe Dante committing to do the sequel the studio had given him full control of the content, and Dante and writer Haas do a tremendous job in weaving this zany world together, which is like Die Hard meets Dawn of the Dead meets Gremlins. The comedic elements are definitely superior, and the concept of giving each gremlin a distinct personality is immediately winning, the "brain" gremlin and the crazy loose-cannon gremlin being especially hilarious. (Phoebe Cates' interactions with the loose-cannon gremlin are just priceless.) The film is ripe with satirical ideas and populated with highly charming characters. In the first Gremlins, the "bad" characters are simply bad without much humanity to them. Here, all the "villainous" characters are given their share of complexity, right down to the riotous ending.

Again, it is baffling to me that the first film, interesting at best and clunky at worst, was a huge box-office hit while this superlative sequel literally ended the franchise. (Dante had said in an interview that the studio, not believing in the film, had opened Gremlins 2 against Dick Tracy in an effort to undermine Warren Beatty's film, thus damaging Gremlins 2's theatrical take.) But that's what video and DVD are for, and if you've never seen this film, it's definitely a winner.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Much better script than the first one
Review: I really liked this movie when I saw it in 1990. I almost skipped it because I had found the first one only so-so. But it's a lot of fun. The DVD release is a pretty sterling transfer considering it's 12 years old. If I had to pick between one and two, I'd go for two.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: The wackiness of it all...
Review: When I was a child, very young, four or five, or maybe a little older, but not much, I was obsessed with the original Gremlins, I loved it, and was frightened by it. It's amazing how easy it is to frighten a little child with a movie that seems so... silly now. To this day I am still a huge fan of the two Gremlins movies. However the second is definitely my favorite of the two. Why? Simple, it took the comical elements of the first one to the extreme. While Gremlins was meant to be a B-movie, this is meant to be a comedy. Gremlins was simply too good of a movie to become the B-Movie that they had hoped for. Instead it became a classic of dark comedy, which is good because B-Movies don't get the recognition they deserve.
I don't know why there was a drastic change of direction with the sequel, but I was grateful for it because I'm a huge fan of high comedy in the vein of Monty Python, Zucker movies, and well... this! If you're looking for a horror movie look elsewhere. This movie is as zany as silly monster movies get! The movie also features some impressive pre-CGI special effects, for its day, and the puppets were quite well done. All in all if you have not seen this movie I highly recommend at least giving it a rent because I'm pretty sure that most people would enjoy it, although probably much more so if they have seen the original.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: About time it's on DVD
Review: Fans of GREMLINS 2 have been waiting for this for a [heck] of a time; it never even got a re-release!!! It's Also cool that this DVD has the works
Anyway, I reccomend it to anyone who likes comedy with with some horror to add a little spice, Anyone who liked GREMLINS, and starting August 20th, anyone who likes DVD.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Hulk Hogan Scenes
Review: Anyone remember the theater scene in Gremlins 2 w/ Hulk Hogan that was in the actual theatrical release? I wonder if they'll include this scene on the DVD. The television broadcast has the Gremlins taking over a t.v. station and somehow they interact with a John Wayne Western instead.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Better than the first
Review: I am a huge fan of Gremlins. I have owned the first one on DVD for several months now and can't get enough. I have been looking for Gremlins 2 on DVD for quite some time and was very mad when I couldn't find it in any stores. Finally it will be released August 20th and I will be able own my own copy of the movie. So to summarize, this is a great movie and definitely better than the first. It is definiely worth the wait.


<< 1 2 3 4 5 .. 7 >>

© 2004, ReviewFocus or its affiliates