Gremlins: Three Simple Rules
The petite Mogwai, Gizmo — a sad-eyed cutie with bat-like ears, a talent for mimicry, and a high-pitched baby's voice — is introduced in the original Gremlins as a new family pet, a Christmas gift from eccentric inventor Rand Peltzer (Hoyt Axton) to his teenage son Billy (Zach Galligan). Purchased from a mysterious Chinatown shop, Gizmo comes with three simple rules: Don't expose him to bright light (or it will kill him); never get him wet; and don't feed him after midnight. Naturally, before too long, water spills on him, which spawns more of his breed, and soon the new issue have eaten that post-midnight snack. The result are the gremlins of the title, pure id with reptilian skin, big teeth, a tremendous sweet tooth, and a fondness for Snow White. They also have no social skills whatsoever, which leads them to murder, pillage, and generally devastate the Peltzers' hometown, Kingston Falls, with only Billy, his comely friend Kate (Phoebe Cates), and Gizmo standing between them and eventual world domination.

Truthfully, this first Gremlins is overrated. Chris Walas' designs for Gizmo and the gremlins are delightful, and while both discs' audio commentaries continually point out how different the film would be with today's CGI technology, the puppets' tactile nature is part of the film's appeal. The humor of some of the movie's set pieces — from Billy's mother (Frances Lee McCain) using common household objects like her blender and microwave to fight off the beasts to the gremlins happily singing along with the Seven Dwarfs — works beautifully as well.

The problem is that the story is a mess, with some plotlines — like those involving the town villain, Mrs. Deagle (Polly Holliday playing a cross between the Wicked Witch of the West and It's a Wonderful Life's Mr. Potter), and a smarmy junior bank executive (Judge Reinhold) — simply going nowhere. The movie never really comes alive until the gremlins are finally hatched and that doesn't happen soon enough. Columbus' script was originally a much darker horror comedy, and while undoubtedly at least of some of its revisions have merit (particularly producer Steven Spielberg's insistence that Gizmo not turn into a gremlin), too many rewrites add up to a mishmash.

Gremlins 2: A Superior Sequel
Luckily, no such problems plague Gremlins 2, the rare sequel that is superior to the movie that inspired it. Given complete artistic control and a crackerjack script by Charlie Haas, Joe Dante creates a twisted Muppets Take Manhattan — only these puppets have bite. Zach Galligan and Phoebe Cates are back again as Billy and Kate, but now they've moved from Kingston Falls to the Big Apple. Both work for Daniel Clamp (John Glover), a zany, megalomaniac real estate/media magnate, a sort of Donald Trump/Ted Turner/Frankenstein monster. When Billy discovers that his old pet, Gizmo, is imprisoned at a genetics lab run by a mad scientist (Christopher Lee — who else?), he determines to free his old friend. Of course, it isn't long before the little guy gets wet and the mayhem starts all over gain.

From the opening title sequence of Gremlins 2, a cartoon by legendary animator Chuck Jones, it's evident that Dante is after something altogether snappier than Gremlins. That first film contained in-jokes and movie homages, but the sequel is bursting at the seams with them, referencing everything from Rambo to Marathon Man to Batman and television's the Chipmunks, climaxing with a big musical finish, where the gremlins themselves salute their adopted city. In between film references, the movie also finds time to spoof cable-television networks, the uber-security of modern corporations, and the flaws inherent in a "smart" modern high-rise.

Best of all, though, Gremlins 2 gleefully satirizes the movie that inspired it. Gizmo, bearing the resentment of humans annoyed at the idea of a puppet stealing the limelight, is put through any number of tortures befitting a small, cuddly stuffed animal before finally emerging heroically once again. When Billy explains the rules to a group of bored security personnel, they make fun of him, pointing out that it is always after midnight somewhere on the planet. The gremlins even manage to get even with those nasty microwave ovens. Of course, thanks to the genetics lab's fun formulas, the little imps are smarter this time, although as their spokesperson Brain (a deliciously supercilious Tony Randall) concedes, they aren't exactly "civilized." The entire movie is a brilliant conceit.

Two Special Editions Worthy of the Moniker
Warner Bros. presents both Gremlins and Gremlins 2 in their original 1.85:1 theatrical aspect ratio, enhanced for 16x9 televisions, with Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby Digital 2.0 offered as sound options. Both boast pristine, brand-new transfers with excellent remastered soundtracks.

Gremlins includes the film's original theatrical trailer, a re-release trailer, and a trailer for Gremlins 2, along with a making-of featurette, and an extensive photo and storyboard gallery. There are also 10 minutes of additional scenes — which can be accessed with or without Joe Dante's commentary — that have never been seen before. They are a highlight on the disc, because they fill in some of the plot points that the movie dropped.

The best parts of the Gremlins DVD are the two audio commentaries — a crew commentary featuring Dante, producer Michael Finnell, and the gremlins' puppet master Chris Walas; and a second featuring Dante, Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, co-star Dick Miller, and voice of Gizmo, Howie Mandel. The cast commentary hovers between the nostalgic and affectionate and the hilarious, as the actor reminisce about the strange experience of working with inanimate objects that nevertheless manage to take on a life of their own. The crew is sometimes even funnier as they talk about the difficulties of working with the puppets when the technology really wasn't there yet and point out mistakes in the film (like a shot where a close inspection reveals Gizmo's face falling off or another where a puppeteer appears in the background).

Dante, Finnell, Galligan, and screenwriter Charlie Haas offer the sole audio commentary on Gremlins 2, a warm and often comic trip down memory lane where they talk about why it took six years to get the sequel made and why they are sometimes so mean to Gizmo. The disc also includes the film's theatrical trailer, a gag reel highlighted by monkeys in the genetics lab scenes reacting to the gremlins as if they are real, and a droll behind-the-scenes "documentary," which casts Gizmo and the gremlins as vain prima donnas torturing their director and co-stars. The DVD's final feature is 20 minutes of additional scenes, (which can be viewed with or without commentary).