Due to my love for fantasy films, my mother recommended my twin sister and me a movie called "Gremlins." The way she described the plot of the film to us was basically this: "A cute and adorable creature with big eyes as Puss in Boots from 'Shrek" turns into an evil and ugly monster that attacks humans when splashed with water." Right away, I knew the movie had to be a fantasy horror film. Or so I thought.
On June 8, my twin sister and I decided to put up this movie on the TV screen that evening. Surprisingly, June 8 is the 34th anniversary of the film's release. A huge coincidence, isn't it? As we watch the entire movie throughout, I completely went over heels for the movie's mascot, Gizmo. In the film, Gizmo is a mogwai adopted by Billy, the main protagonist. However, Billy's friend accidentally spills water over Gizmo, causing Gizmo to spawn a batch of evil mogwais that creates havoc to Billy's hometown.
Gizmo becomes Billy's pal throughout the film. Not only is Gizmo very adorable to look at, but he is also the best fictional pet to have (if he was real).
1. Gizmo is very well-mannered and very talented
Gizmo is the only mogwai who still has his good nature. Aside from the mogwai he spawns, Gizmo is very polite and kind. When Billy is studying, he doesn't make a sound unlike the evil mogwais, who keep bothering Billy for food. When Billy offers Gizmo a drumstick, Gizmo kindly shakes his head no. Before Gizmo leaves with Mr. Wing at the end of the film, Gizmo smiles at Billy and tells him goodbye. Gizmo displays a few talents as well. Gizmo knows how to play the electronic keyboard piano and the trumpet. Gizmo knows how to operate a toy car as well. When Gizmo's original owner, Mr. Wing, comes to bring Gizmo back and speaks in Cantonese, Gizmo can also speak in Cantonese to Mr. Wing as well.
2. Gizmo is one helpful sidekick
Gizmo never lets his owner face trouble alone. He is very loyal. He sticks with Billy throughout the film. When Billy is facing Stripe, the leader of the evil mogwais, Gizmo drives on a Barbie car to help Billy. In the end, Gizmo saves the day by exposing Stripe to sunlight.
3. Gizmo teaches us the importance of responsibility
At the beginning of the film when Billy is given Gizmo to take care of, he is warned not to expose the mogwai to sunlight, not to get the mogwai wet, and not to feed the mogwai after midnight. Throughout the film, we see the consequences of not heeding these warnings. When water spills on Gizmo, a batch of evil mogwais emerge. Then when the evil mogwais sabotage Billy's clock and fool Billy to feeding them, the evil mogwais turn into cocoons and hatch into ugly, vicious creatures. The evil mogwais spawned by Gizmo jumps into a pool of water and the number of evil mogwais multiply, wrecking Billy's hometown and terrorizing the citizens. Finding the evil mogwais at a movie theater, Billy sets the theater on fire, destroying every mogwai in there except for the leader, Stripe. At the end of the film, Gizmo exposes Stripe to the sunlight, showing that sunlight kills the mogwai.
Given these reasons, Gizmo is thereby a lovable fictional pet to have despite his spawning of evil mogwais.
Sheetal Tadiparty
Flickr Creative Commons
