despite its faults, it is still enjoyable

Rating: 7/10 (20 December 2005)

I remember that Gremlins took the country by storm back in the 1980s, but I was not allowed to watch it until I was much older. When I did get to watch it in my teens, I did enjoy the film. In fact, I enjoyed it more then than I do now after re-watching it. I think it was able to captivate an audience of the 1980s in the same way that E.T. did, but in today's world of CGI and a higher level of action, it falls short. Either that, or you have to be young to really enjoy this film. (I've just had to re-rate it a point lower than I had previously rated it.) 'Gremlins' is a cute film, and it's still funny and enjoyable to watch. The main problem with the film is the acting. The characters were a little boring, despite some of their quirks. I guess Gizmo and the Gremlins are meant to take the spotlight anyway, but whenever the main male or female characters come on the screen, there is an unhealthy dishing of dialogue. The love story is a little silly, but I do think it is done well. However, the serious dialog is often ridiculed as funny -- in part, it's down to some bad acting. The horrible story about the female lead's father is an example of this. It's a horrible story, but the manner in which it is told is almost amusing. It's difficult to take that seriously.
Okay, I'll stop criticizing it now. It's a pretty good film, and it is a film that I enjoyed much more when I was younger.