Critters (1986) Review

Critters (1986) Review

 

Gremlins is one of my favourite movies, and it has been beloved by many since it first came out in 1984. Studio executives loved it because it made a good chunk of change, and whenever that happens, imitators always spawn from the success. Critters is often viewed as an imitator of Gremlins, but actually, it’s not very comparable aside from featuring pint-sized monsters, kind of in a similar way to how the original Piranha was seen as an imitator of Jaws but was different enough to not really be a rip-off (here’s a weird connection: Piranha and Gremlins were both directed by Joe Dante, so he made an imitator film, and then later his own original movie became imitated). While Gremlins is in the genres of fantasy, horror, and comedy, Critters is a science-fiction/horror story set mainly on a farm about extraterrestrials that land there and cause violent mischief. It isn’t as well-remembered as Gremlins, but is actually a bigger franchise in terms of sequels and spinoffs, and pretty entertaining in its own right.

It begins with unseen creatures escaping a prison on an asteroid and two bounty hunters being sent after them. These bounty hunters have glowing-green faces, and are able to take on the likeness of other creatures to blend in better. One takes on the form of a rock star, who sings “Power of the Night” which is an original song made for the film, and they really milk it for all its worth. The video plays on the space ship, it plays on the TV, the song is on the radio, and by the end of the movie it will be stuck in your head. The other alien claims “nothing likes me” and doesn’t take on a human form until later. Critters definitely has a sense of humour, but it also has a focus on building up the family of characters and a few of the townspeople before the mayhem begins.

Who is the ultimate 80’s movie mom? You might think it’s Frances Lee McCain, who was in Back to the Future and Gremlins, but I think it’s Dee Wallace: Elliot’s mom in E.T., Tad’s mom in Cujo, and the mom in Critters, too. A couple other recognizable cast members include Billy Zane in an early role as the daughter’s boyfriend, and Lin Shaye, who later became best known for the Insidious franchise. The characters are all cliché but most are tolerable. I find the kid, played by Scott Grimes, to be the most annoying, but even he is better than your average mischievous kid in a horror movie. Don Opper plays Charlie, a town drunk who swears he’s seen aliens before, and is among the first few residents to catch on to the arrival of the critters—or “Crites” as they’re called. Opper was also a co-writer on the film, and his character is a bit much at times (as I said, everyone is a cliché) but he’s charming enough, plus it’s pretty funny when the one bounty hunter takes on his likeness later in the movie.

The Crites themselves are creepy and vicious, and we don’t get too many glimpses of them right away. It’s the old trick of hiding the monster to make it creepier, and it works well enough, but once the Crites move to center frame, the movie gets more fun. The Crites themselves are blatantly similar to the gremlins, but they’re like a mix of the peaceful Gizmo with his furry body and the troublesome monstrous forms that come from eating after midnight. Speaking of eating, Crites have big appetites, mainly for flesh. I love that they are basically just a big mouth full of teeth, with tiny little arms and legs, plus those evil red glowing eyes. I love the way they get around, too: curl up in a ball and roll like Sonic the Hedgehog.

The one scene that does feel like a direct Gremlins rip-off is when a bunch of them trash the house, but it’s one of the most entertaining scenes in the whole movie. The greatest singular moment, though, is earlier, when two Crites communicate in their alien language and it’s subtitled. One says: “They have weapons” to which the other responds, “So what?” a second before being blown away by a shotgun. The other Crite’s reaction? “F**k!” It’s the one moment I laugh at every time. The Crites are able to fire back with their own natural weapon and shoot poisonous barbs from their backs.

The effects were created by the Chiodo Brothers, who would go on to do many effects in other films, most notably in the 80’s being Killer Klowns from Outer Space. Some of the effects to do with the bounty hunters (space ships, prosthetics, weapons) are obviously fake, but considering how low the budget was, I think they did a pretty good job, and the director knew how to shoot the Crites in the most effective ways possible. You know they’re puppets, but they have character and are menacing in a fun way. The stuff with the bounty hunters helps keep the film’s momentum going in the Crite-free scenes later on, too. I love the part when they go into the bowling alley and the one who looks like the rock star throws a bowling ball so hard down the lane it obliterates the pins. One of the bowlers leans over to his buddy and asks which team he thinks he’s on. It’s a cheesy 80’s kind of entertainment that’s hard to duplicate today.

I don’t want to say too much more about Critters. Instead of having me spoil every great moment you should just see it for yourself. I have a distinct memory of sitting down to watch it as a teen when it was early in the summer, just as it was getting dark, and it felt like the perfect time to watch, because as it started getting dark outside and cooling off the same thing happened in the movie (it’s mainly set at night), and it helped draw me in. Looking back at it now, it’s a quaint little monster flick, but still fun, and essential for any fan of alien movies from this era. The film was a success, too, so a sequel was inevitable, but no one could have guessed just how many sequels it would get.