REVIEW: ‘Gremlins: The Wild Batch’ Captures Adventure

With Gremlins: The Wild Batch, showrunner Tze Chun shifts the story from Shanghai to San Francisco. Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai was a masterclass contributing to an iconic franchise’s legacy. Set in the 1920s, the first season of the new Gremlins prequel series took us to Mr. Wing’s past in Shanghai. When Gizmo (A.J. LoCascio) comes into the picture, Mr. Wing’s (James Hong) grandson Sam (Izaac Wang) and his unlikely friend Elle (Gabrielle Nevaeh) embark on a quest to return the Mogwai to the Valley of Jade before the Gremlins take over China.

Taking place one year after the events of season one, Gremlins: The Wild Batch follows Gizmo, Sam, and Elle as they travel from their home in Shanghai to San Francisco. Elle has flashbacks to her family, and Gizmo is dealing with changes set to cause big trouble.  When an evil Mogwai begins to rise to power, it’s time to stop him. The him, of course, is Noggin (George Takei).

Sam and Elle head to San Francisco hot on the trail of a new brood of evil Mogwai and directly confront new supernatural creatures and people. Simu Liu joins the main voice cast in season two alongside returning cast members Ming-Na Wen, James Hong, BD Wong, Izaac Wang, AJ LoCascio, Gabrielle Nevaeh and George Takei.

This season offers even more magic, mystery, and humor, starting with creatures from folklore immediately from its opening episode. With magic and the Wing’s family relationship already out there for the audience, Season 2 allows the story to jump into the deep end from the beginning. Gremlins: The Wild Batch uses its momentum from Season 1 to immediately throw the audience and the characters into the thick of it, and it’s better for it. This results in kinetic pacing that ups the action and adventure of the last season.

But just because it’s action-packed doesn’t mean that Gremlins: The Wild Batch lacks a solid emotional core. With enduring stories about family, this season firmly belongs to Elle. When Sam and Elle make their way to San Francisco, Elle confronts her grief from losing her parents but also hopes to find some proof of the family she came from. But beyond exploring family, Gremlins: The Wild Batch also directly addresses immigration, Asian-American identity, and the important role that San Francisco plays in Asian diaspora stories, particularly for Chinese Americans.

Gremlins: The Wild Batch is direct in how it tackles racism and immigration, but at the same time, it never feels hamfisted. The way that snide comments and circumstances come together to paint a picture of the negative experiences of immigration never feels too tacked on or over the head of the child audience. In addition, the series highlights the success that can be found in Chinatown and what returning home can mean. This last point is captured dynamically with Chang (Simu Liu), the new person Elle and Sam meet on their journey.

With Chang and Noggin’s Mogwai crew, Gremlins: The Wild Batch takes a sharp action movie turn, with magic taking a larger backseat. The supernatural is everywhere, but it’s not as focused on the magical as much as the practical, which allows the story to ground itself a little more. This also results in a simpler story than the last season. With only five episodes (that comprise Part 1) available for review, I’m curious as to how the season will ultimately shape up for both Sam and Elle.

Finally, the animation is expertly done and unique against the general animated landscape. From the giant moment of whimsy and wonder to the most intricate spooky moments, Gremlins: The Wild Batch nails crafting atmosphere and emotion with its animation style. It’s easily become one of my favorite American animated series due largely to the creative representations of folklore and, more importantly, the adventure of it all.

Gremlins: The Wild Batch is another solid entry into Chun’s new leg of the Gremlins story. It delivers an astute look at culture, family, and life, and it does it with a bit of magic and a lot of mystery thrown in. While it may not be as refined when it comes to pacing as the last reason, Gremlins: The Wild Batch is the easiest recommendation I can make to anyone.

Gremlins: The Wild Batch is streaming now on MAX (formerly HBOMax).