Review: Gremlins

Gremlins opened on June 8, 1984. The horror comedy stars Zach Galligan & Phoebe Cates. The Amblin film was directed by Joe Dante.

Synopsis:

A father buys his son a mysterious pet, named Gizmo, for Christmas. The creature comes with a set of odd rules that cannot be broken. When the rules are accidently broken by the young boy—Gizmo inadvertently creates murderous Gremlins that attempt to take over a small town.

Positives:

• Gremlins does an excellent job of balancing horror with comedy. The Gremlin creatures easily switch from being comedic to scary throughout the film and both tones are done effectively.

• The design and special effects in the film are well done and are timeless. The Gremlin and Gizmo creations are still iconic nearly 40 years later.

• The film is one of Amblin’s darkest entries and that helps it standout from the other classic films in its library.

  Negatives:

  • The humans are overshadowed by the Gremlins and a little more character development may have helped the overall quality of the film.

   

  • The scares and action in the film get a little repetitive towards the end. The Gremlins don’t offer much more than crude humor and gross out death scenes.

  In Closing:

  Gremlins is a fun film that offers genuine laughs and scares. The Gremlins don’t offer much diversity as villains – but their design makes them unforgettable. Gremlins is easily one of Amblin’s most iconic films.

  Rating: B