Stars:
Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, John Glover, Robert Prosky, Robert Picardo,
Christopher Lee, and Dick Miller
Writer:
Charlie Haas
Director:
Joe Dante
Feature
length: 107 minutes
Extras:
Over Twenty Minutes Of Deleted Footage, Feature Length Commentary By Director
Joe Dante And Producer Michael Finnell, Gag Reel, Cast/Crew Highlights,
Theatrical Trailer
Languages:
English Captions and Closed Captions and French and Spanish Language Subtitles
Subtitles:
English Captions and Closed Captions and French and Spanish Language Subtitles
Packaging:
Snap Case
Chapter
Stops: 32
Sound:
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and Dolby Surround Sound
Year
of Theatrical Release: 1990/DVD Release: 2002
Theatrical
Distributor: Warner Home Video
Home
Video Distributor: Warner Home Video
MPAA
Rating: PG-13
Reviewer:
Mark A. Rivera
“Gremlins
2: The New Batch” is as much a satire on the original “Gremlins” and
sequels in general as it is a sequel to the original hit film. This time the
gremlins are set loose within a Manhattan high-rise with mutations such as a bat
winged gremlin, a spider gremlin, an electricity gremlin and more terrorizing
the occupants. Zach Galligan,
Phoebe Cates, and Dick Miller return with Dante film alumni Robert Picardo and
John Glover appearing as an eccentric mix of Donald Trump and Ted Turner. When I
first saw the film during the theatrical run, I was somewhat disappointed, but
over the last few years the film grew on me and now Warner Home Video is
releasing a companion DVD-Video release for their upcoming “Gremlins:
Special Edition” DVD, which will street day and date of each other on
Tuesday, August 20, 2002 sold separately. A beautiful anamorphic widescreen
(1.85:1) transfer is provided with a brand new and well mixed English Dolby
Digital 5.1 Surround Soundtrack and English Dolby Surround Soundtrack along with
French and Spanish Language Dolby Surround Soundtracks coupled with English
Captions and Closed Captions for the hearing impaired and French and Spanish
Language Subtitles encoded on to the DVD. The soundtrack and picture benefit
from the fact that this film is only 12 years old as opposed to 18 so the
transfer is sharper and the sound has a much fuller quality to it as well.
A
screen specific audio commentary track is included with Director Joe Dante,
Producer Michael Finnell, and Actor Zach Galligan and Dante also provides an
optional commentary for more than 24-minutes of high quality (1.85:1) deleted
scenes as well as a gag reel and the original videotaped promotional featurette,
which itself makes fun of promotional featurettes with the Actors complaining
about the attitude of the gremlins on the set. There are some highlighted jokes
that viewers can explore on the DVD and the home video version of the Gremlins
interrupting the program is included among the extra features while the original
theatrical gag featuring Hulk Hogan remains intact on the feature presentation
on the DVD.
The
theatrical trailer and a cast and crew list wrap up the extra features on this
DVD. The menus are standard interactive still frames that are easy to navigate.
“Gremlins
2: The New Batch” will debut on DVD-Video day and date with the DVD debut of
“Gremlins: Special Edition”
sold separately on Tuesday, August 20, 2002 from Warner Home Video. Also
available now on DVD-Video from Warner Brothers is Joe Dante’s “Innerspace.”
All are sold separately and worth checking out.
©
Copyright 2002 By Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reserved.