# Ranking Every Joe Dante Movie Part 2 - re:View

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWP-ahN5sfY
Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/RWP-ahN5sfY
Generated: 2025-09-13T15:02:10.082+00:00

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## Quick Overview

The video reviews and ranks Joe Dante's filmography, with "Gremlins" and "Gremlins 2: The New Batch" taking the top two spots, followed by "Inner Space" and "The 'Burbs," with "Small Soldiers" and "Explorers" rounding out the lower half of the discussed films, highlighting Dante's signature blend of dark humor, meta-commentary, and creature features.

**Key Points:**
- Joe Dante's "Gremlins" and "Gremlins 2: The New Batch" are ranked as his best films, with the first lauded for its perfect horror-comedy balance and the second for its bold self-parody and meta-commentary.
- "Inner Space" is praised as a unique and perfect 80s sci-fi comedy with great special effects, a clever script, and strong chemistry between Martin Short and Dennis Quaid, despite its perceived decline in popularity.
- "The 'Burbs" is described as a consistently funny "comfort movie" that humorously explores themes of nosy neighbors and suburban paranoia, featuring strong comedic performances from Tom Hanks, Bruce Dern, and Rick Ducommun.
- "Small Soldiers" is considered "Gremlins Light," a charming but less dangerous film that successfully emulated a 90s toy line with impressive animatronics, though it lacked the genuine peril of its predecessor.
- "Explorers" is noted as a pleasant surprise, a charming and nostalgic film with a great Jerry Goldsmith score, featuring John Goodman in a memorable role inspired by William Castle, and effectively contrasting real-world horror with cinematic scares.
- The video highlights recurring actors like Dick Miller and Robert Picardo across multiple Dante films, and notes special casting choices such as the Spinal Tap members voicing Gorgonites in "Small Soldiers."
- A key theme across the reviewed films is Joe Dante's love for meta-commentary, pop culture references, and a self-aware, often cynical, humor that critiques studio demands and audience expectations.

**Context:** This video is a film review and ranking of director Joe Dante's filmography, specifically focusing on his studio films. The discussion covers "Small Soldiers," "Explorers," "The 'Burbs," "Inner Space," and the "Gremlins" movies. The reviewers, who are clearly fans and knowledgeable about Dante's work, analyze each film's strengths, weaknesses, and place within his career, often drawing comparisons to his earlier and more iconic films.

## Detailed Analysis

The video provides a ranking and analysis of several Joe Dante films, starting with "Small Soldiers" (1998), which is described as "Gremlins Light" with impressive animatronics and a design that perfectly captured a 90s toy line, though it suffered from a lack of genuine danger. "Explorers" (1985) is praised as a pleasant surprise, noted for its Jerry Goldsmith score and John Goodman's performance as a William Castle-inspired filmmaker, effectively juxtaposing the Cuban Missile Crisis with cinematic horror. "The 'Burbs" (1989) is celebrated as a consistently funny and well-constructed suburban satire about nosy neighbors, with standout comedic performances and a memorable, albeit divisive, ending. "Inner Space" (1987) is highlighted as a unique and quintessential 80s sci-fi action-comedy, lauded for its inventive premise, special effects, and the chemistry between Martin Short and Dennis Quaid, despite being considered somewhat underrated today. The top two spots are reserved for "Gremlins" (1984) and "Gremlins 2: The New Batch" (1990). "Gremlins" is revered for its perfect blend of horror and comedy, while "Gremlins 2" is celebrated for its audacious self-parody, meta-commentary, and willingness to mock its predecessor and the studio system, making it a "troll" movie in the best sense. Throughout the discussion, recurring actors like Dick Miller and Robert Picardo, along with Dante's signature stylistic elements such as meta-references and dark humor, are frequently mentioned.

### Film Ranking

- Small Soldiers
- Explorers
- The 'Burbs
- Inner Space
- Gremlins 2: The New Batch
- Gremlins

### Small Soldiers Analysis

- "Gremlins Light"
- Impressive animatronics and toy design
- Lacked genuine danger
- Studio film in the CGI era
- Featured Stan Winston work

### Explorers Analysis

- Pleasant surprise
- Jerry Goldsmith score
- John Goodman as William Castle-inspired character
- Contrast of real-world and cinematic horror
- "The Wonder Years Nuclear War Edition" vibe

### The 'Burbs Analysis

- Consistently funny "comfort movie"
- Explores suburban paranoia and nosy neighbors
- Strong comedic performances (Hanks, Dern, Ducommun)
- Divisive ending with a thematic message
- Features recurring Dante actors (Miller, Picardo)

### Inner Space Analysis

- Unique 80s sci-fi comedy
- Great special effects
- Chemistry between Martin Short and Dennis Quaid
- Underrated and not talked about enough
- "Perfect 80s movie" with clever script and pacing

### Gremlins Analysis

- Perfect balance of horror and comedy
- Genuinely scary moments
- Christmas tradition film
- Iconic creature feature
- Memorable characters (Mrs. Deagle, Billy Peltzer)

### Gremlins 2

- The New Batch Analysis: Bold self-parody and meta-commentary
- "Troll" movie on the studio's dime
- Mocks the first movie and studio demands
- Features Looney Tunes-esque fourth-wall breaks
- Creative new Gremlin types