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Following the surprise success of the first Critters film, could this one be any better? Let's just say that if you liked it the first time around, you'll enjoy this one as well. In fact, it is almost the exact same film, only with different actors. Despite the quips and intentional humor, the actors play it all extremely straight, which causes one to lean forward towards the screen and think, "they can't be serious, can they?" But Critters 2 is another "good bad" film precisely because of the game cast and director Mick Garris, who tries to flesh out the story enough to make it entertaining even when the critters aren't on the screen.

Since a film like this rests on the appeal of its titular villains, how do the Critters look? The third film had better animatronics, but the little buggers look as good here as they did in the first film, namely like sock puppets with teeth. (Would fans have it any other way?) But while it is easy to bash the heck out of this fluff horror film and its silly Gremlins-esque creatures, what's the point? Sure, the Critters are literally thrown at people like lettuce, but that only adds to the charm. Just sit back and laugh at this whole camp creation, and it's pretty obvious that the filmmakers want you to do just that. If you think you know exactly what you're getting into with this film, you'd be right.

Video: How Does The Disc Look?

For a low budgeted film from 1988, it's hard to expect much from Critters 2 but New Line sure delivers. The film is presented in it's original 1.85:1 theatrical aspect ratio and it is anamorphically encoded. Regardless of what you think of the film, there's no denying that this transfer is, at times, better than some recent high profile films. Colors are rock solid and well rendered with natural fleshtones. Varieties of difficult reds and greens reveal pleasing gradations between tones and no noise or smearing. Darker scenes display rich blacks and very good shadow delineation with contrast still looking good. However, darker scenes do reveal a bit more grain which is likely due to the film source but still remain film-like. I noticed nary any edge enhancement nor any compression problems. This is a mighty fine transfer, indeed.

Also included is a 4:3 open matte transfer on the same side of this dual- layer disc. The option to select the preferred aspect ratio is available via the main menu.

Audio: How Does The Disc Sound?

Recorded in the then-new Ultra Stereo format (i.e., pretty cheap), here we get a new Dolby Digital 5.1 remix. This film really takes advantage of discreet surround effects. I was quite stunned. Sidewall imaging may not knock you out of your seat, but the flyovers, swirling sounds of critters and other effects are utilized with reasonable integration, especially during the space sequences and the climax. Robust frequency response opens up the soundstage, and even dialogue isn't always held hostage by the center speaker which makes for some decent imaging. The .1 LFE also reaches some decent lows. This remix does a great job.

Also included is an English Dolby 2.0 surround option, plus English subtitles and Closed Captions.

Supplements: What Goodies Are There?

Supplements include theatrical trailers for all four Critters films.

DVD-ROM Exclusives: What do you get when you pop the disc in your PC?

Included is a custom interface with basic DVD controls and weblinks to various New Line websites, but no exclusive extras.

Parting Thoughts