Gremlins 2: Still discovering weird stuff after all these years!

Okay, so I know Gremlins 2 gets a lot of flack for being… well, batshit crazy. But I honestly think it's brilliant. I've seen it probably a dozen times, and I still notice new little details. This time, I was really focused on the background stuff in Clamp Tower. The parodies of business news, the weird science experiments going on, the whole vibe of that place is just so over-the-top. Like, did anyone else clock the scene where they're genetically engineering vegetables? So random! And the Gremlins themselves! They're not just generic monsters anymore. Each one has its own personality, like the Brain Gremlin is clearly trying to be a sophisticated intellectual, while the Vegetable Gremlin...well, he's a vegetable. But even something as simple as the Phantom of the Opera Gremlin's little musical cue when he popped up? Gold. It's so dumb, but so perfect. I've heard some people say it's too meta, but I think it's the perfect kind of sequel that knows what it is and just commits fully to the bit. Honestly, I think Joe Dante was given free reign to just do whatever he wanted, and the result is a chaotic, hilarious, and weirdly smart movie. I know it's not everyone's cup of tea, and it defintiely diverts from the original, but I think the humor in Gremlins 2 is very clever; it's satire. It makes fun of a lot of things, especially late 80s, early 90s culture. I feel like anyone who hates it is taking it way too seriously. Plus, Gizmo riding Rambo-style on a toy car is pure cinematic genius. Fight me. One thing I'm still trying to figure out: is that Hulk Hogan cameo actually real, or is it some kind of fever dream? It's so bizarre!