Lots of nostalgia, but not much of a film

Rating: 5/10 (9 February 2019)

This film is utter nonsense from beginning to end. It fails in terms of having a moral message, it fails in terms of storytelling, it fails in terms of characters, and it fails in terms of logic.
First off, what is the moral message here? That stupid white people can't be trusted to act responsibly? Well, does the old Chinese man act responsibly, when he shows the Mogwai to random people, then leaves it unguarded so his grandson, who is even more irresponsible can sell it? At the end the Chinese man says that American society has done to the Mogwai what it does to all of nature's gifts. That's rich considering China is the nr. 1 destroyer of nature.
Now, what about the story itself? Well, it's just a bunch of ugly creatures terrorizing the town in a series of scenes that might have been funny in the 80s, but pack no punch today. That's all it is.
What about the characters? There is this nasty rich woman, who ends up doing nothing, other than being another victim of the gremlins. There is a crazy inventor, who invents coffee makers, juicers, and other things that have already been invented. Only his versions don't actually work. His sole role in the film is to buy the Mogwai and then be away on some conference. Then there's his wife, who seems to be suffering from severe depression. She gets to kill a few gremlins, and has no other role either. There are only three real characters here: Billy, the son, his girlfriend, and the Mogwai. These three are all likeable, but they are not given much to do. Also, Billy ends up being completely useless.
Indeed, Billy is a bit of a loser, like his father. He is incompetent and weak, and hangs out with kids. His father also seems to treat him like a child. He buys him toy robots as Christmas presents, as we learn later in the film. His girlfriend has no qualities other than being pretty, yet depressed because her father died on Christmas. And then there's the Mogwai, or Gizmo, as Billy calls him. His job is to look cute.
Now, Billy ends up being a total failure. The gremlin kicks his ass, and he spends most of the time crawling on the floor, moaning, being passive, and getting pounded by a tiny puppet. It's the Mogwai that saves his ass, by driving a tiny electric car, which for some reason has an operational steering wheel, gas pedal, breaks, gearbox, and so on. All puppet size. That brings us to the utter lack of logic.
Why does the Chinese boy sell the Mogwai for 200 dollars, when a unique species like that could be sold for millions? Is that street-smart boy really that dumb? Why does no one ask any questions about the weird rules for handling the Mogwai? Why does no one even ask what the hell it's supposed to be? Why does Billy's dad think anyone would need his 'bathroom buddy' invention? It's just a bunch of stuff for personal hygiene people normally put in little travel bags. Then he says he can get loads of them for anyone who wants to buy them. How? Who is going to produce them? Why does the schoolteacher also ask no questions about the Mogwai? He's a biologist, apparently. He receives an unknown creature that multiplies by water, instantly, defying laws of physics, let alone known biology. But when the thing cocoons and is about to hatch, he is not one bit scared what might come out. He is excited. No need to tell anyone. In fact, everyone in this film ignores the fact that the little thing is some kind of really weird creature. Even the police. And where do the gremlins find miniature clothes, accessories, and even functioning guns that can fit into their hands? What do they even want? No one knows. Now, the only reason these things get to invade the town is because Billy allows one of them to escape. It jumps out the window, and instead of chasing after him, Billy just stands like an idiot. He does this time and again. His inaction is the source of all the problems. He's not exactly a hero, is he?
This is where I end my review, because I think I have brought up the major points that bother me. There is plenty more, and I have to say that watching this film again really ruined the fond memories I had of it from childhood. There is still plenty of nostalgia here, which accounts for most of the 5 stars I gave this film.