Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai - Season One
Stream on HBO Max
Runtime: Eight 23 Minute Episodes
Rated TV-PG
You must follow the rules. First of all, keep him out of the light, he hates bright light, especially sunlight, it'll kill him. Second, don't give him any water, not even to drink. But the most important rule, the rule you can never forget, no matter how much he cries, no matter how much he begs, never feed him after midnight.
Or else…
GREMLINS!!! Just like Mr. Fudderman said…
If you grew up watching Gremlins and Gremlins 2: The New Batch and ever wondered where the Mogwai came from, if there were other Mogwai, or just wished there was a less scary version you could show your kids than this is likely the animated show for you. The story revolves around Gizmo (in 1920) being separated from his home and recruiting some new human friends to help him get back. However, this is easier said then done because an ancient warlock, and other people a mythological creatures, want Gizmo for their own nefarious end.
Themes:
Mogwai, Gremlins, family, monster hunting, Chinese lore/culture/history, fighting, magic, following rules, mind control, forced servitude, switching sides, thievery, myths, grandparent’s stories, Chinese gods, drinking, failure, betrayal, changing your life, parents supporting their children, friendship, and doing the right thing no matter the consequences.
Language:
I’m not always sure what Gizmo is saying, but I have been told “to understand, one has only to listen.” The human characters (and monsters) are a different matter. There is some minor name calling. Some names include twerp, creep, stupid, etc. The closest we get to cursing is phrases like “what the heck” in earlier episodes. However, in the last few episodes the word “hell” is used in phrases like “hell lizards” and “hell on earth.” Not in a “curse word fashion,” but still used. One character also says, “what the fig.”
Stuff to be aware of:
A giant bird attacks a village of Mogwai. An elderly man jokes about how he stole a skull he has in his room from a graveyard. The main villain is a warlock who can unnaturally and mystically open his mouth very wide and eat creatures, people, and gods. This has a magical effect that pertains to the plot, but is a little creepy even in CGI. He places those he eats into clear balls first, then swallows them. The bad guy eats a gremlin at one point, but he throws him up. It’s gross. He also can freeze people and kidnaps some people using this magic.
Of course, the gremlins and their cocoons make an appearance, but they are not as scary, or gross, being that they are animated. There is a demon character in one episode. I assume he is something from Chinese mythology. He can shape shift and also creeps around as a shadow sometimes. He and the main bad guy want to eat Gizmo. There is also zombie like creatures that bounce around and terrorize our heroes in one episode. One kills a thief but shoving his hand through the thief’s chest. There is no blood of guys, but still a bit traumatic.
There are some crazy violent things. A gremlin bites off a man’s finger. There is no blood, bone, or even a big deal made about this. The Gremlin teases the man with his finger and the man for the remainder of the time doesn’t have a finger. It was a weird scene, but I guess it shows how bad the gremlins are? Gremlins get blown up by magic, they explode, get run over and one gets chopped up in a ceiling fan. Many of these scenes are similar to the live action movie. All of this is played for humor, but the Gremlins explode into green slime and that may be traumatic for younger children. One Gremlin melts and you see her skeleton. Yes, there are male and female Gremlins. This is discussed in the show. There are some gruesome scenes, but no blood is ever shown.
There are also several scenes where characters drink. There is a Chinese god that has been drinking for eons. There are some jokes made about this and she mentiones “moonshine” at one point. A significant part of the story deals with Chinese lore and a “god of creation.” Mogwai itself is a Chinese word that can be translated ghost, devil, or evil spirt. Within this world and the Chinese lore there are two gods names Nuwa and Fuxi who are a large part of the story. In Chinese mythology these two gods helped create the world.
Overall:
I grew up watching Gremlins and Gremlins 2: A New Batch. I really loved the zany Gremlins 2 story as a kid, but not until I was older did I realize that Joe Dante was poking fun at his first movie. This prequel goes back to taking itself a bit more serious like the original. The first few episodes and the last few feel like an exciting animated movie. A few of the middle episodes are a bit more “episodic,” and slow but give us some more background to characters and allow them to build relationships. As I mentioned, the last few episodes though are pretty exciting and over all I enjoyed this series. I enjoyed learning more about the Mogwai’s origin which are tied into Chinese lore that deals with the creation of the world. We even discover some exact specifications for the “don’t feed them after midnight” rule that makes the rule make more sense. Also, several of the original movie actors/actresses come back to voice various characters.
Is this show for all kids? Probably not. It may be a bit scary and/or gruesome for some. If you are a Gremlins fan it is worth a watch.