“Cute. Clever. Mischievous. Intelligent. Dangerous.” Synopsis: A boy inadvertently breaks three important rules concerning his new pet and unleashes a horde of malevolently mischievous monsters on a small town.

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Calamity Brains:

I’m very grateful that I can still enjoy Gremlins as an adult. No, it’s never going to be as good as it was when I was a kid, but I still appreciate a lot about it. The acting and plot holes annoy me more than they used to, but now I’m more impressed by the animatronics. It’s no longer at all scary, but I enjoy the visual gags more.

(And one thing remains the same: I still want a Mogwai.)

Though the plot is thin at times and this movie features one of my least favorite tropes (the “magical” foreigner who warns/judges), it’s still a lot of fun. The antics the gremlins get into are purely ridiculous and make no logical sense, but are nevertheless entertaining. Movie buffs will enjoy seeing Corey Feldman and Zach Galligan run around town, trying to head off a pack of evil toys.

Spielberg‘s classic Christmas horror story is always a part of my holiday lineup. It’s got a Scrooge-like character, lots of fake snow, making bad life choices in order to get Christmas presents, a nerd rising to the occasion, a cute dog, and lots of mayhem. There’s also a lot of love to be seen here; one of my favorite things about this movie as an adult is how the inventor’s family use his inventions despite their problems and inconvenience, just to support him. Love and mayhem – now that’s the Christmas spirit.

Calamity Brains’ Rating: B-
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