Review: Gremlins (1984)

Directed by: Joe Dante
Written by: Chris Columbus
Starring: Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Hoyt Axton, Frances Lee McCain, Polly Holiday and Corey Feldman

When we think of any movie we think of certain genre conventions. On the topic of Christmas movies we associate them with cheer, family, Santa Claus, sitting by the fireplace with hot cocoa, not unlike the holiday itself. These kinds of movies are usually very funny and leave us with a feeling of joy. The movie I'm about to review definitely incorporates all of these elements to one extent or another, but it's also one of the great movies that defies those very conventions at the same time. Gremlins is a Christmas movie, but it's also one ready to break the rules all while throwing back to different cinematic conventions of the past.

It's Christmas time and Billy Peltzer, despite being down on his luck in many respects maintains his love of the holiday season. His father buys his a small creature called a mogwai, bringing a revived happiness into his life. After naming him Gizmo, Billy is given three rules to follow: Keep him out of sunlight, don't get him wet and never feed him after midnight. Through no fault of his own, Billy breaks these rules and unleashes a horde of nasty, mischievous monsters on his small town.

Viewing the film itself, it can lead one to making a variety of conclusions. The most prominent one for me is how Gremlins is essentially a tribute to both Christmas movies and creature features of that past. Whether it's The Blob or It's A Wonderful Life, The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms or Miracle on 34th Street, we can see a little of all of this in Gremlins. It's very consistent with the films of director Joe Dante, a wonderful filmmaker who both pays homage to the films that inspire him while exciting us in new ways. Funny knowing that his and writer Chris Columbus' individual approach ultimately led to the PG-13 rating being introduced by the MPAA.

These extent of influence of older films and the testing of boundaries of what a Christmas movie are however trivial in comparison to the achievements Gremlins accomplishes on its own. Although I think all the performances are generally strong, contrasting the dark with the campy and delightful it should come as no surprise that the gremlins are the real stars of the show. They're like a fusion of Bugs Bunny with a Grade A psychopath, and the effects are staggeringly good. Utilizing puppetry, animatronics and stop-motion all at once, it achieves the best of all three worlds.

Growing up with Gremlins was wonderful. It taught me everything from appreciating how different genres of film can be combined to a greater effect and the charm of robotics and practical effects over CGI. It introduced me to Joe Dante, who has since become one of my favorite directors and it more generally demonstrates that unpredictability is one of storytelling's greatest strengths and a key ingredient for an exciting movie.

My Rating: 9/10