Daft, but enjoyable.

Rating: 10/10 (1 January 2004)

When it comes to the weird and bizarre, only two directors spring to mind. Tim Burton and Joe Dante. Dante is more underrated than Burton which is a shame. His unique brand of horror laced with traces of dark humour is the perfect formula for a film like Gremlins. Has it really been 20 years since it was made? Is there anyone out there who hasn't seen it?
This interesting Christmas tale begins when Rand Peltzer (Hoyt Axton) is in Chinatown looking for a Christmas present for his son, Billy. He comes across a junk shop, where he encounters a furry creature called a Mogwai. But the owner of the shop is reluctant to sell him, as taking care of a Mogwai entails great responsibility.
Rand still acquires the Mogwai (or Gizmo as he names him) from the shop owners grandson. Before he hands Gizmo over, he tells Rand there are three rules he must follow to take care of Gizmo properly:
1. Keep him away from bright light. Especially sunlight, or it will kill Gizmo.
2. Keep him away from water. Don't get him wet.
3. The most important rule of all. The rule you can never forget. Never, ever feed him after midnight.
We switch then to Kingston Falls, one of those sleepy Disney/Capraesque towns. Billy Peltzer (Zach Galligan) is a mild mannered bank clerk who's got the hots for his co-worker Kate Berringer (Phoebe Cates). This is an interesting little town, full of quirky characters, some played by actors Joe Dante loves to have in his films. Mr Futterman (Dick Miller) is a bit of an oddball who believes Gremlins are real, and then there is Mrs Deagle, an old bat who has seriously got it in for Billy's family.
When Billy finally receives Gizmo, he is overjoyed but puzzled by the vague rules he has to follow. Of course, the audience just knows they're going to be broken. And the second rule is broken courtesy of Billy's friend Pete (Corey Feldman before his career took a nosedive). After accidentally splashing Gizmo with water, five new Mogwai appear. But these Mogwai are different from Gizmo. They are more mischievous and devious (Wait until you see what they do to Billy's dog).
They're led by one called Stripe, which Billy dubs because of a Mohawk of hair on his head. They later trick Billy into feeding them after midnight, and when he does, they go into cocoons. A teacher friend of Billy's who studies one of the Mogwai explains they will be going through lots of changes. He doesn't know the half of it!
When they hatch, they have turned into little monsters. Green, scaly, razor sharp teeth and claws. They are now Gremlins. They proceed to multiply into an army, and begin the process of tearing Kingston Falls to shreds. This is all under the leadership of Stripe. It is now up to Billy and Kate to stop the Gremlins before they destroy their town.
Although it has a very silly premise, there is something compelling about Gremlins. Joe Dante has enormous fun with the way he gleefully trashes and satirises the small-town Middle-American image Frank Capra and Norman Rockwell created.
The Gremlins are the real stars of the film, and despite being produced by Steven Spielberg, Dante has incredible latitude and freedom. It is certainly clear he is on the Gremlins side, and there are many memorable scenes.
Billy's mother (Frances Lee McCain) defending her kitchen is a definite highlight. The different methods she has of killing the Gremlins are quite sadistic (in particular the microwave). What happens to the Futtermans is both funny and scary. Mrs Deagle's encounter with the Gremlins is shockingly original. You might say they come to her in the middle of the night and teach her the true meaning of Christmas!
Probably the most memorable scene is when they storm the local cinema and catch a screening of Snow White. I wonder what a group of malicious monsters could find of interest in that film? The ending inevitably has the showdown between Billy and Stripe, which becomes a gripping fight for survival in a department store.
Gremlins is not only hilarious, but occasionally frightening. The content is of a shockingly dark tone at times. For all those parents out there, you may not want your children to watch this unless you're with them. Having a Gremlin trying to strangle Billy's mother with Christmas lights is a good indication why.
The scene where Kate tells Billy about her father is unusual. Somehow, it comes across as padding. I'm not sure what it has to contribute to the film really. But overall, Gremlins is extremely entertaining. It's quite refreshing to see a dark Christmas tale. The FX are still superb even after 20 years. It is also packed to the rafters with Dante's trademark in-jokes and film references (The Howling, Invasion of the Body Snatchers) which only adds to the film's charm.
One thing I especially liked is the way we don't actually see the Gremlins at first. We only hear them. It builds up anticipation to when we finally do see them. You are not disappointed.
The ending is quite sad, when Billy has to say goodbye to Gizmo. It's not quite as soppy as you might think. Gremlins 2 was also a good film, although it was a great deal more satirical than the first. The original had more style and subtlety. The theme music by the late Jerry Goldsmith is very memorable too. It was one of the best theme tunes he ever composed. Small Soldiers was also along the same lines, and was another of Dante's good ones. But it still doesn't match up to the great film that is Gremlins.