I am not a Movie ! I am a Cartoon !! (screen) (vhs) (DVD)

Rating: 10/10 (24 March 2007)

The opposite is more frequent: the cartoons would like to be movies, either with a realistic art ("Final Fantasy"),or with real live actors ("Who framed Roger Rabbit ?" or "Looney Tunes Back in Action" from the same director).
Here you got first a really lively setting: a small American town in the 80's. Then, it turns into an horror movie (the symbolic fight of the desperate housewife in her kitchen), and when it could have been a bloody nightmare, the monsters suffer from "gremlins madness" and it becomes a hilarious, funny horror movie: I think that with "Ghostbusters" (seen both in theaters for Christmas 84 at 10 years old), it was the first ones of this kind.
In addition to the nostalgia, the enjoyment comes from a lot of merit (the name of Spielberg as producer may not be fortuitous): - Christmas time. It gives a good contrast to the horror

Jerry Goldsmith music: two great theme: the romantic mogwai song & the frenzy gremlins theme

Joe Dante as a director: he has the sense to make fun as well as to frighten

A great collection of characters greatly interpreted: from the failed inventor and father, the nationalist neighbor, to an horrible "Mrs. Deagle" and so on Well, all of them bring theirs personal stories to the story

The metaphoric script: the gentle Gizmo is "the nature gift" (as said from the old Chinese) and the gremlins are what happens when responsibility fails. Spiderman or Plato should agree with this. And as it is funny, every one accept to see the bad sides of human nature.

Finally, the special effects are top: without any digital help, Gizmo & his pals seem truly alive.

A must seen movie !