Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Gremlins’

Written by Scott Edwards

As Christmas gets closer, one of the things we are all worried about is finding the best gift possible for our loved ones. A lot of things go into finding the perfect gift for someone and that is the reason it takes so long to find one. Not trying to wait until the last minute is the best advice that can be given, but you always seem to forget to keep looking throughout the year to find it.  

Sometimes the perfect gift appears when you're not even looking for it and that is what happens to local inventor Randall Peltzer. When trying to sell his latest invention, Randall runs into something he cannot resist for his son, a Mogwai. Taking full advantage of the situation, Randall is able to purchase the rare animal and bring it home for his boy. The animal has some rules however and that is not lost on the old man as he gives his son an early Christmas present.  

The Mogwai needs to be kept out of bright light, he is not allowed to get wet, and no matter how much he complains, he can never, ever be fed after midnight. Relaying these rules onto his son Billy, Randall is content that the new addition to the household will be just fine. Although Billy is basically taking care of his family, he will not be overwhelmed by the new responsibility. Responding to the name Gizmo, the new pet is a big hit in the household as he can mimic and sing along with music.  ​

---

​Billy takes care of his new pet and is amazed by how different, yet how human it is. Showing one of his closest friends Gizmo, he thinks that everything will be okay, but when a cup full of water gets spilled on the Mogwai, everything starts to change. The Mogwai starts to multiply and instead of one, Billy now has five more that are more rambunctious than the first. Getting closer to Christmas, the family decides not to do anything, as they could be the greatest gift to date. Nothing bad could possibly happen with the harmless Mogwai running around the house, until they outsmart young Billy and get fed after midnight.  

Gremlins keeps you running around the small town of Kingston Falls as Christmas approaches. With your local nice guys and villains, the town does not know what to expect when a band of little green creatures take over. Trying to make right what he did wrong, Billy teams up with co-worker Kate to take on the menace. Knowing what will make the gremlins grow and multiply, they try to keep the town from being overrun. Having to worry about loved ones and the safety of others, the two are joined by little Gizmo on their fight against the Gremlin threat.  

As a fantastic holiday movie should do, Gremlins makes sure that you understand the importance of giving the right gift. As the movie progresses, you get to see that the thing you thought would be the perfect gift may not be the right one at the time. With the special effects being run mainly by puppeteers, this movie feels more realistic than most since it has creatures that the actors can see and touch. I love how the story progresses and seeing that everyone could be a hero in one way, or another keeps this movie near and dear to my heart. Also, with having a release date in June, the studio had enough time to focus on what is most important to the bottom line, merchandising. I don’t know about you, but I really wanted a Gizmo doll after this movie came out (I still do).  Keep looking for that perfect gift, but just remember that your loved one needs to be able to take care of it… at all costs. If they cannot, there is always fruit cake. Stay Scared.

---