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An inventor with a penchant for oddities that don't work (Hoyt Axton), while selling his wares in a sketchy section of Chinatown, comes across a young boy who promises to show him some wonderful things within his grandfather's shop. Once inside he does indeed find himself amongst the odd and wonderful. He becomes drawn to the singing of a cute furry little creature known as a Mogwai, and informs the shopkeeper that he simply must have the Mogwai, as he's in dire need of a Christmas present for his son. The shopkeeper hesitates, and finally says no to the inventor, Randall Peltzer, as with the Mogwai "comes great responsibility." Distraught, Mr. Peltzer turns to leave. However, knowing that his family needs the money, the young boy offers to help him out by selling him the Mogwai behind his grandfather's back. The adorable fuzzy little creature comes with three rules. He doesn't like bright lights, he can't get wet, and he can't be fed after midnight.
Billy Peltzer (Zach Galligan) is elated upon opening his present. He immediately becomes friends with the Mogwai, Gizmo, and makes sure he abides by all the aforementioned rules. When a neighborhood boy comes by to deliver a Christmas tree, he doesn't exercise quite as much caution and accidentally spills water on the Mogwai. This unveils a whole new trait for Gizmo, and a whole new world for Billy. The Peltzer family soon discovers just how much responsibility is necessary for a creature of this caliber, as does the rest of the town they live in. Bad things may come in cute, cuddly, furry little packages.

I rate the movie as five stars, and the DVD as three, hence the average of four stars. The acting is superb, and the effects are brilliant, even if they are a little gory (the whole kitchen scene comes to mind) for the rating given (PG). The gremlins themselves are superbly done, especially when you consider that these are puppets and are not computer-generated! Each of them has their own unique personality that comes out in little snippets throughout the duration of the film, proving that every minute detail was taken into consideration with the making of this movie. The soundtrack is classic eighties cheesiness in all its glory and splendor. Howie Mandel did a good job as the voice of Gizmo, even if it didn't consist of much. Chris Columbus, Joe Dante and Steven Spielberg prove themselves an excellent team, combining a humorous and witty script with some extremely good moviemaking. This movie has become, and will live on as, a cult classic adored by fans of monster and horror films and should not be missed.

However, the DVD package leaves something to be desired. Apparently "Special Edition" need not be very special at all, consisting of only a couple of commentary tracks and the trailer for the film. Both of which are appreciated, yet many DVD's offer much more than that these days. I would have hoped that this very special movie would be released with a little bit more bite, and perhaps someday it will. Until then, this DVD will have to suffice.