While the 1984 blockbuster film Gremlins is incredibly entertaining and was a commercial success, that doesn’t mean it was a perfect movie. In the 1980s, audiences weren’t nearly as hard on movie makers, and today we demand answers to questions like… where are the other kind mogwai, and why doesn’t Gizmo turn evil? Sure, realism isn’t the biggest issue here, but some of these things just don’t add up.
WarnerMedia has announced a 10-episode series, Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, that will serve as a prequel to the original film and its 1990 sequel. Perhaps the 30-minute Amblin Television animated series will shed some light on these things that just don’t make any sense about Gremlins.
It’s Always After Midnight
One of the biggest rules you must follow if you own a Mogwai is to never feed it after midnight, but this rule is ridiculous. It’s always after midnight, if you think about it, which makes this a really difficult rule to follow. There’s no specific time zone stipulated, either. There need to be more specific parameters in place to protect everyone from an evil Gremlin invasion.
Even if you argue that you can feed a Mogwai once the sun’s come up, how far up does it need to be? Can it just be peeking up over the horizon or does it have to fully be in the sky? These rules just don’t make any sense.
Gizmo’s Not Evil
While the novel explains that only 1 in 1,000 Mogwai are good-natured, the film completely leaves this fact out, leaving viewers to wonder why this one animal is so sweet while all of its kids are holy terrors that need to be offed to save the town from certain doom.
According to Chinese mythology, Mogwai are actually demons, so why aren’t all of them evil? The myth also states that they reproduce with other Mogwai not by getting wet, but during the rainy season. Their name literally means “evil beings” and they are known to cause great harm to humans without ever becoming Gremlins.
None Of The Gremlins Are Good
Even if Gizmo’s ability to spawn new Mogwai out of mere water and the Mogwai turning evil just because they had a midnight snack rules make sense, there remains the question of why none of the Gremlins are good. Are they all just that hungry, or do they even know what will become of them if they evolve? They are like mean Pokémon, but without the same rules.
It seems unlikely that all of the Mogwai would do this. Surely some of them could remain good, like Gizmo, and escape into the night, be secretly taken as pets or otherwise further future sequels?
Its Reproduction Is Weird
A Mogwai certainly appears mammalian, so why does it spawn more of itself in little balls of fur off its back? If the creature is an alien, as it is explained in the Gremlins novel, it makes a bit more sense, but that’s never explained in the film at all. According to author George Gipe, an alien race spawned the creatures to be kind and gentle, but their instability led to their violent behavior.
Aside from spawning itself, the Gremlins are born fully grown, or fully grow up super fast. Not only does this make zero sense, but it also robs us all of little Mogwai babies, the adorable critters this fandom doesn’t need but deserves. Their implied longevity also makes such a fast childhood unlikely.
Gizmo Is The Smart One
Why is Gizmo such a self-aware Mogwai? Not only does he communicate with humans and consume human food, but he actually works to avoid procreating and turning into a Gremlin. Some of this may point toward his domesticated nature after being someone’s pet, but none of his progeny seem to have this same intelligence. Given that they share Gizmo’s DNA, surely at least one of them might have similar traits?
The Gremlins are pretty smart in their own, destructive way, but they use their ideas to cause havoc and chaos rather than to become sweet pets. This motivation is never explained in the movies.
Do These Things Not Drink?
Every kindergartner knows that animals need food and water to survive, yet somehow the Mogwai missed the memo. If they get wet, they multiply. Not only does water not replenish and sustain them, but it also costs energy instead, as they expend it generating new Mogwai.
So, what do these creatures drink, and what are they even made of on the inside, if not water? Do they have to get wet-wet to multiply, or will a drop of rain even matter? Speaking of wet, is it just water that does the damage, or could anything from hair gel to motor oil get the job done? Inquiring minds wish to know. This is addressed in the book, but not in the movies.
“Bright Light” Should Have Been “Sunlight”
Exposing a Gremlin to bright light is supposed to have dire consequences, but the level of brightness throughout the movies makes this rule a dubious one. There are lights everywhere, from the homes and tavern to the movie theater and convenience store, some of which are pretty bright. The Gremlins were fine until exposed to direct sunlight.
Even if Gremlins could be done in by sunlight, that rule would also be a tricky one to enforce. Does it count if it’s reflected off something else (including the moon)? What about if it only touches a body part, but not the whole creature?
The Kid’s Warnings Were Insufficient
When Mr. Wing refused to sell Gizmo and his grandson did it anyway, he knew the risks. He told Randall Peltzer the three rules that must never be broken, but he never explained the dire consequences of breaking these rules. While that created great dramatic tension for the movie, it certainly did the humans who perished in it no favors.
That kid had to know how irresponsible it was to sell the thing with the potential of disaster just resting in that crate, so what was his angle? Did he want to unleash the wrath of the Mogwai? Or was the money just that much more enticing to him?
Gizmo Is Left Alive
It sounds ghastly to off a cute little fuzzy butt monster who didn’t do anything wrong except get wet, which was really the humans’ fault, but with the risk of future outbreaks, it would make much more sense to just put him down humanely in order to prevent the chaos and violence that another one is sure to cause (and did, just a few years later).
The only reason Gizmo is left to live is because he is cute and adorable. Had he remained with the Peltzers, someone would have definitely spilled water on the creature yet again, causing another terrible outbreak of Gremlin destruction. Speaking of outbreaks…
Why Aren’t There Other Gremlin Outbreaks?
It’s implied that the troubles of Kingston Falls have occurred elsewhere due to Gremlin mischief. If so, why hasn’t the world heard of them already, and why aren’t their laws and procedures governing the creatures?
Even if this previous outbreak is ancient history, it stands to reason that, after multiplying, some of the gremlins would’ve escaped to continue to wreak havoc on society. If the creatures are this volatile, why keep one in the first place, let alone allow it to be seen by some idiot who could steal it? It’s also rather convenient that Mr. Wing doesn’t come to collect Gizmo until after the Gremlins have caused their damage.
