Gremlins has quite the premise, and the idea just keeps getting more and more insane until the end. Not only did it manage to bring out a lot of scares and thrills but there was also a surprising dose of irresistible charm and humor. No matter which decade you come from, I can guarantee that this movie is just as fun to watch today as it was back when it was first released. Fun fact, this movie was written and conceived by Chris Columbus who would later go on to direct another Christmas movie Home Alone. With Steven Spielberg attached as executive producer and Joe Dante as Director, Gremlins turned out to be an unconventional Christmas movie that still evokes the spirit of the season while showing a more scary side that is chaotic and intriguing.
A traveling inventor named Randall Peltzer (Hoyt Axton) comes to an old shop in china town to sell his latest inventions only to come across a mysterious creature called a mogwai who looked like the perfect gift for his son Billy (Zach Galligan). Randall asks the shop owner to buy the mysterious creature but he declines by saying it is not for sale, however, the store owners son secretly gives him the mogwai who Randall names Gizmo (Howie Mandall) and asks him only to make sure he abide by some rules if he was gonna keep the mogwai included don’t get him wet, don’t expose him to bright light and never ever feed him after midnight. Randall returns home to his son Billy and his wife as he gives Billy Gizmo as an early Christmas present. Unfortunately, when Gizmo is exposed to water, duplicate gremlins are made as they start to cause mayhem and destruction in the small town of Kingston Falls. Now it’s up to Billy and his girlfriend Kate (Phoebe Cates) to stop the Gremlins from taking over the town and causing any more damage.
The story takes the idea of scary fun to an interesting new level as it tries to incorporate many things you wouldn't really see in any other film that uses the scary movie theme.. His writing takes what is expected from monster B-movies and flips it on its head by creating interesting scenarios and unique set-pieces for our characters to interact with. The oddest thing was how this movie was set around Christmas time which is not necessarily the first setting I would think of to do a scary movie in. However, this movie does not use the Christmas setting just for the sake of using random ideas as it cleverly balances out the traditional Christmas magic with the madness of the Gremlins attacks. It not only gives the movie a unique identity but it makes the story even more memorable thanks to some scenes that show off the wonderful joys of the season. Even though the setting of the movie plays its part in the narrative, the real focus is on the Gremlins and the chaos they cause. They’re practically the main highlight of the movie. These creatures would be found creating destruction and torturing people to death and it’s funny as heck.
The characters aren't anything super deep or emotionally complex, In fact, they're really simple and easy to grasp which in this movie's case it works great. Most of the main focus is put on the Gremlins and like I said before they are the main highlight of the movie. Gizmo practically steals the show as his cuteness is so infectious that he becomes a show-stealer in his own right. The other gremlins are wild and insane and their random and unpredictable comedy makes them fun to watch. The human characters are good too with Billy being a down on his luck comic book artist and his father being a salesman who is also an inventor whose inventions keep messing up. These main characters are likely to leave a memorable impression so it can be easy for you to route for them to make it out alive.
The cinemotogrpy has plenty of Christmas visuals galore but also contains strange and creepy visuals that you’d think would not pair well with the soft and welcoming Christmas stuff but they match surprisingly well. Some of the best elements of the visual are when they use practical and puppetry effects for Gizmo and the other Gremlins. Keep in mind that CGI was not a big thing in the ’80s so it's great to see filmmakers using their movie magic to bring tiny little devilish creatures to life. The expression and movement of the Gremlins are so good and lifelike and have so much personality that can be shown visually. They don’t hold anything back when showing the Gremlins run amuck through the down and causing destruction which is very fun to watch. The background visuals are dripping with Christmas decorations which surprisingly evokes the Christmas spirit even if some of the other visuals lean more toward a Halloween feel.
The music was done by Jerry Goldsmith and he brings 80’s synthesizing piano tunes to match with the unpredictable craziness of the Gremlins on a rampage. Other than the score, there are also some inserted Christmas songs to help establish the mood and time the movie takes place. Even years later this score is still a lot of fun to partake in even if it may not be the most timeless musical score ever crafted.
There are many people who whip this movie out around the holiday season and just like The Nightmare Before Christmas, people still debate weather this movie is truly a Christmas movie or maybe even an early Halloween movie. Whatever your choice, Gremlins is an excellent movie that has plenty of unexpected charm and oddball craziness that keeps me coming back for more every year. If you are in the mood for a Christmas movie that is edgier than most others, this might be a great pick that is sure to bring out your different side of the holiday season.
(Final Grade: A-)