First, I’d like to issue an apology to “Critters” for calling it a rip-off of “Gremlins” but when I saw this one I realised what a rip-off of “Gremlins” is. “Critters 2” isn’t quite a rehash but it’s hardly a fresh take and it’s a pretty lousy sequel too.

Set a few years after the original “Critters” where the Brown family had the farm invaded by the hairy little aliens, “Critters 2” takes place in the same town as the first as a junk dealer finds some eggs of the creatures and mistakes them for being Easter eggs. Afterwards the whole town pays as people are murdered and the creatures gain control of the streets so it’s up to Brad Brown (Scott Grimes “Critters”) and a group of brave townies to stop the creatures from annihilating everyone in the town and taking over the world.

Scott Grimes lacks the likeable juvenile idiocy he had as Brad in “Critters” as this time around he just gets on your nerves as he’s overly pathetic. Don Keith Opper (“Critters”) returns as Charlie, who is now a bounty hunter, but unfortunately, he isn’t that amusing. The rest of the cast are unmemorable and just generally unlikeable. The creatures aren’t that fun this time around either and sadly the concept of when they eat they grow is gone.

“Critters 2” is just an awful sequel and a rubbish movie. It lacks the amusement of the original and the suspense as it cashes it in for a crumby “Gremlins” rip-off that isn’t funny, it’s just plain dull. I loved “Gremlins” and I liked “Tremors” and “Critters” but “Critters 2” just doesn’t have the same kind of humorous impact. If you really adored the first “Critters” then maybe just maybe, you’ll think “Critters 2” is okay but I think that’s as far as that goes.