The movies of the Gremlins franchise might be too dark for some younger viewers, leading some fans to question whether Gremlins: Secrets Of The Mogwai is suitable for children. MAX’s Gremlins: Secrets Of The Mogwai is the first television spinoff from the Gremlins franchise. The animated series tells the origin story of Gizmo, the Mogwai Billy’s father buys at the beginning of Gremlins. Long before Billy became his owner, Gizmo lived an idyllic existence in the Valley of Jade. This paradise was home to the Mogwai, but Gizmo was rudely robbed from his homeland when an eagle kidnapped him while attacking his village.
While that might be a dark bit of Gremlins lore, that doesn’t necessarily mean that Gremlins: Secrets Of The Mogwai is unsuitable for children. For decades, debate has raged over whether the original Gremlins movies were child-friendly or not. Alongside Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, 1984’s original Gremlins led to the creation of the PG-13 rating. Censors couldn’t decide whether the original movie was suitable for kids or not, and parents have been faced with the same conundrum for years since. Fortunately, Gremlins: Secrets Of The Mogwai has a more straightforward answer.
Gremlins: Secrets Of The Mogwai Is Suitable For Kids
Despite the reputation of the series, Gremlins: Secrets Of The Mogwai is considered suitable for kids. In fact, two of Gremlins: Secrets Of The Mogwai’s creators themselves said that the series was intended for children. In a behind the scenes interview about Gremlins: Secrets Of Mogwai, it is mentioned that “one of the things that was really important to us was to make sure that it was a co-viewing show, something that the entire family can watch together.”
The original script for Gremlins was an R-rated horror movie, while Gremlins 2: The New Batch was lighter, sillier, and more family-friendly than its predecessor. Thus, the confusion over the intended audience of Gremlins: Secrets Of The Mogwai is easy to understand. Luckily, Gremlins: Secrets Of The Mogwai’s creators had this issue in mind while creating the spinoff series. With its young lead characters, Gremlins: Secrets Of The Mogwai is perfectly suitable for viewing by children. Inevitably, the eventual arrival of the eponymous Gremlins themselves could be disturbing for some very young viewers, but the animation style renders these monsters a lot less threatening than their movie counterparts.
Why Gremlins: Secrets Of The Mogwai’s Rating Change Makes Sense
The Gremlins franchise as a whole has been far less child-appropriate before, but the appeal of a figure like Gizmo is inherent for kids and audiences of all ages. As such, capitalizing on Gizmo’s perennial appeal and leaning into his cuteness with a family-friendly outing makes sense. If Gremlins: Secrets Of The Mogwai’s main character was Spike, the malicious villain who led the Gremlins in the movies, the series would have likely been a less kid-friendly affair. However, with Gizmo as its lead, Gremlins: Secrets Of The Mogwai is perhaps the most child-friendly piece of Gremlins media so far.
