I am, and have always been, a fan of the "Gremlins" movies. Especially since they manage to combine comedy and horror in a most satisfying manner, but most importantly because of the Mogwai and the gremlins themselves.

If you enjoyed the 1984 "Gremlins" movie, then you will definitely also like the "Gremlins 2: The New Batch" from 1990.

This is a direct continuation of the first movie in a way, and the writers managed to come up with a story angle that supports the transition between the first and second movie quite well.

In "Gremlins 2: The New Batch" Billy (played by Zach Galligan) and Kate (played by Phoebe Cates) have moved to New York and are working for the Clamp company and work in an advanced skyscraper. When Gizmo finds his way to Billy, and is accidentally exposed to water, New York is in for a repeat of the incident that happened at Kingston Falls.

One might think, at a glance, that I have already seen this in the first movie. And you are right, to a certain extend. Sure, there are similarities to the first movie, but everything in "Gremlins 2: The New Batch" is taken one step further. More gremlins, more mutations, more mayhem, more comedy, and so forth.

What I love about "Gremlins 2: The New Batch" is the great ideas for changing the gremlins, as they are exposed to the various formulas and genetic materials from a research company also house in the Clamp Tower. The gremlins designs are just fantastic, and the creativity behind these ideas is just fabulous.

There are also some great performances in this movie. Of course, first and foremost, it was nice to have Zach Galligan and Phoebe Cates return to their roles. But it was equally great to have Dick Miller return as well, despite for a small role only (just as in the first movie). Furthermore, there were some memorable performances by Christopher Lee, Robert Prosky, John Glover and Robert Picardo.

The storyline in "Gremlins 2: The New Batch" is also good, and it matches the craziness, intensity and the unique style of the first movie very well, and then adds a new element to that.

"Gremlins 2: The New Batch" is a movie that you can watch again and again, just like the first movie. And this is one of those types of movies that everyone is familiar with, even if they haven't actually seen the movie. I think that these two movies are definitely something that everyone should take the time to sit down and watch.

"Gremlins 2: The New Batch" is the 1990 sequel to the 1984 box office hit "Gremlins" which is one of my all-time favorite movies. The sequel is not as good as the original, but its not bad either. Here the filmakers did something different. They tried to make this one more of a comedy than the original. The first film was funny but also scary. "Gremlins 2" plays more like a Mel Brooks-type movie with some of the jokes that are in it. But its hardly scary. Plus, it got a little tiresome to watch the gremlins do some of the exact same things that they did the first time around like drinking, smoking, etc. Nevertheless, this is for the most part an entertaining movie that I'd wish had done better at the box office. I think if they had made this three years after the original instead of six years, it would have done better. In between the two "Gremlins" flicks there were all those ripoffs ("Critters", "Ghoulies" and their sequels) and by 1990 moviegoers became tired of it all. But the two "Gremlins" movies are much better than the "Critters" and "Ghoulies" movies. A good job by director Joe Dante.

*** (out of four)

The horror element of the original "Gremlins" is replaced entirely with lame comedy in this disappointing sequel. Zach Gilligan and Phoebe Cates return as Billy Peltzer and Kate Beringer, now living in the Big Apple. It's not long after their reunion with Gizmo (he's so cute it's sickening) that the little guy is accidentally hit with water and the villainous title characters return to wreak havoc. This time their target is a high-tech corporate skyscraper run by a Trump-like suit.

"Gremlins 2: The New Batch" tries hard enough, and it's certainly original and creative. But it just never really clicks. The film plays like a bad episode of "The Muppet Show" as the cartoonish gremlins sing musical numbers, destroy property and morph into giant bats and spiders. It repeatedly attempts to poke fun at itself, but those efforts, too, fall flat on their face. Maybe the gremlins just aren't cut out for comedy. Chalk this one up as one of the weakest efforts from highly-talented director Joe Dante.