It is indeed the kind of movie - crude and anarchic, filled with shotgun satire and gross-out jokes - designed to drive parents crazy and fill adolescent hearts with joy. For unfastidious adults, too, it's a great time at the movies, maniacally and often breathtakingly funny. [15 Jun 1990, p.B]
An hilarious sequel featuring equal parts creature slapstick for the small fry and satirical barbs for adults. Addition of Christopher Lee to the cast as a mad genetics engineering scientist is a perfect touch.
Okay, the first film is better, but Gremlins 2:The New Batch is a very entertaining sequel that is by far one of the better ones out there. I think it is more of a comedy than the first film was, the original had plenty of comedy and horror and succeeded in both areas. The plot isn't quite as clever or as wonderfully simple as the one in the original, and one or two moments don't quite work. Still, it is very funny thanks to a good script and efficient direction, and the time just flies by before you even know it. And of course the gremlins steal the show, and boy don't they do it well. They are brilliantly designed, if maybe not as scary, and there is a good voice cast. Tony Randall especially is brilliant as Brain Gremlin. The human actors do a great job, with Zach Galligan more appealing here, he was a tad bland in the original, and Keye Luke is simply great in his reprising role as Mr Wing. Christopher Lee is an exceptional actor, and he also does well as Doctor Catheter. And Jerry Goldsmith's music is again very impressive. I do think this sequel is underrated, it isn't perfect but it is well worth watching. 8/10 Bethany Cox
Those who enjoyed the gremlin-in-the-microwave scene from the first film will probably love the paper-shredder sequence in the new one. [15 Jun 1990, p.6]
Gremlins 2 is a limited achievement — it’s nothing but the sum of its own whirring pop-culture mechanics. But that’s more than enough to keep you occupied, and occasionally exhilarated.
Nothing in the first Gremlins came close to being as bad as these early segments in the second one, and because the concept is no longer fresh, and the suspense over what's going to happen is lost, we're ready for the filmmakers to get on with it long before they've finished setting the table.
Cleaner image than the first movie. The creature effects go to the next level too. Great use of all the speakers except the bass speaker which was a little soft. This takes everything to the next level. There is more comedy, more crazy gremlins and that's your lot. Much less serious than the first and I prefer it that way.