Critters

Critters is an alright movie overshadowed by the juggernauts of its time. Its production history is messier than the film itself, the script was written long before Gremlins went into production, but it was Gremlins' massive success that finally got New Line Cinema to greenlight it. That meant rewrites to distance the two films from each other, and the result is something that exists in Gremlins' shadow despite trying real hard not to. If not for the success of Gremlins, Critters might never have seen the light of day.

The plot is crazy and convoluted. Intergalactic shape-shifting bounty hunters chasing rabid space aliens with sharp teeth who've escaped from an intergalactic prison, all while terrorizing a local farm / family and small town America. It's not deep. It's not even all that clever. But it's fun and it's zany, and it cranks things up early and never lets off the gas.

The first thirty-five minutes are slower than they should be, with no real horror or tension. The family dynamic is one of the film's strengths though, and we get ample time with them to start. The kids and parents interact in genuinely believable ways, warm and affectionate one moment, catty and annoyed the next. When things go wrong you actually care, which is more than most creature features from this era manage.

The acting is pretty poor overall but hits that perfect sweet spot of camp mixed with genuine tension that makes it one of the great intro horror movies for kids.

The effects are where Critters earns its kudos. The Chiodo Brothers, Charlie, Steve, and Ed, were given roughly ten weeks and a creature budget that left almost no room for error. They couldn't use conventional foam latex because it took too long to cure, so they developed a thin latex skin over two-part urethane foam that set in minutes and turned out to be more resilient than the industry standard. The budget allowed for only four puppets. Their solution was a Mr. Potato Head-style system of interchangeable prosthetic features, scars, deformed facial details, different brow shapes, that let each puppet double as two characters depending on the shot. The Critters themselves look menicing and grotesque .The rest, not so much. Miniatures and background work are clearly props, teetering on lame, but the creatures hold up.

When things finally go south the movie gets genuinely fun. The bounty hunters transforming into locals, adds a surreal sci-fi layer the film wears proudly. The societal commentary is murky at best. Classic Americana under siege from foreign outsiders, fear of the unknown, Invasion of the Body Snatchers and The Blob as templates rather than inspirations. It doesn't need a moral but might have been remembered better if it had one. Without a sharper thesis it settles for being an enjoyable romp people say "oh yeah, I forgot about that movie" to instead of jump to front of mind.

Critters is convoluted, cheap, and fun. It never tried to compete with Gremlins and benefited from that decision. It earned back its budget multiple times over and spawned a franchise that outlasted its more famous competitor, including a Critters 3 that gave a then unknown Leonardo DiCaprio his first film role. I bet it's not long until we see our next Krite adventure.