Gremlins 2: The New Batch

Young sweethearts Billy and Kate move to the Big Apple, land jobs in a high-tech office park and soon reunite with the friendly and lovable Gizmo. But a series of accidents creates a whole new generation of Gremlins. The situation worsens when the devilish green creatures invade a top-secret laboratory and develop genetically altered powers, making them even harder to destroy!

Critics were broadly favorable but divided on whether the sequel improves on the original or merely recycles it with a thinner plot. The central argument runs like this: some felt Dante's self-aware, looney-tunes approach brings a wit and anarchic energy the first film lacked, while others — including Ebert — thought the resemblance to its predecessor was too close and the arrival of the gremlins signals the abandonment of any real structure in favor of disconnected gags. John Glover's eccentric performance drew consistent praise across camps.