Funny, entertaining, scary and NOT for children

Rating: 7/10 (22 September 2000)

Possible spoilers ahead...I loved this film when it first came out and now, 16 years later, it still holds up. The performances range from very good (Polly Holliday, Frances Lee McCain) to OK (everybody else). The special effects are superb, Gizmo is soooooo cute, the movie is never dull and there are tons of references for film buffs (like me). BUT it is NOT for children. I remember seeing it on opening night back in 1984, and when the evil gremlins attacked and the violence got real extreme (the mother killing three of them in a blender, microwave and knife), I still remember mothers dragging screaming, terrified children out of the theatre. There's also an extremely morbid Christmas tragedy that Phoebe Cates relates and people are killed--on screen! If they had toned down the violence and avoided killing people (injuring would have been fine) this would be a great film for everybody. As it is, it is a great film...for junior high on up. Also, when the gremlins invade the bar would someone explain where they got all those little clothes and how they knew how to play cards, drink beer, break dance, etc etc. Also there's a gremlin in the school that kills a teacher, slashes Zach Galligan...and then is forgotten! There are plenty of logic lapses in the script, but it's still worth seeing. Deserves an R rating, not a PG.