Somewhat dark for the target audience, but still fun.

Rating: Null/10 (29 August 2004)

The plot: Rand Peltzer, a traveling salesman, is searching for a Christmas gift for his son, Billy, and discovers a cute fuzzy creature named a Mogwai in an antique shop. He purchases it, but is told three rules by the grandson of the Chinese shop owner: Rule #1: Keep it(him) away from bright light, especially sunlight, which kills him.
Rule #2: Don't get him wet...or he multiplies.
Rule #3: Don't ever feed him after midnight.
Unfortunately, he does get wet, his copies turn out to be less than well-behaved(particularly one with a stripe), and they trick Billy into feeding them(except for Gizmo, the original)... which results in hundreds of scaly, ugly reptilian monsters dubbed Gremlins who destroy the town he lives in, along with a few residents.
If Joe Dante meant it to be aimed at kids, it wasn't the best idea, but for everyone else, it's a fast-paced, nifty little ride(if you miss the theater sequence, you've missed the best scene), which managed to become a big hit. I enjoyed it for the most part.
4 out of 5.
Rated PG for comic violence and gore.