Like most horror monsters, the Gremlins have long been a part of pop culture since their on-screen debut forty years ago. The rules of what not to do with the furry little creatures are baked into most movie buffs’ minds even if they haven’t seen the film — I joked about not feeding myself after midnight long before I ever watched the Joe Dante original. They’re as essential to ‘80s cinema as Freddy Krueger or the Deadites, and now they’re back, as the mischievous critters invade Max with their new animated series, Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai.

The new series, from showrunner Tze Chun, seeks to explain just how and why the adorable Mogwai Gizmo ended up in a Chinatown antique store, taking audiences all the way back to 1920s Shanghai and a young version of antique dealer Mr. Wing. Far from the Midwestern chaos of the original film, Secrets of the Mogwai follows young Sam Wing (voiced by Izaac Wang) as he encounters Gizmo, who’s been stolen from his ancestral home and must find his way back. Trouble lies around every corner, however, as Sam finds himself chased by those who want the precious creature for themselves.
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I will admit, I have a certain fondness for Gizmo, the kind that probably also explains why I took such a liking to The Mandalorian’s baby Grogu. They’re of the same ilk, and it’s clear that Max is leaning into the big-eared similarities, making our adventurous little hero (voiced by A.J. LoCascio) TV’s next adorable icon. (As someone who frequently professes that Gizmo’s never done anything wrong in his entire life, I can’t say I’m all that bothered about it.) Despite a visual style that often highlights the failings of 3D animation, it’s easy to get lost in the fun of the curious and iconic creature, whether you’re already familiar with him or not.

Image via Max

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That cute-but-deadly energy is amplified tenfold by Wang’s voice work, playing a young boy whose only confidence comes from his ability to mix remedies in his family’s medicine shop. With a handful of major studio releases already under his belt — including Raya and the Last Dragon, Clifford the Big Red Dog, and The Santa Clauses — it’s clear the young star has a bright future in front of him, particularly in voice work. Rarely do I find myself as engaged with a child protagonist as I am with Sam, whose humor and charm are spot on, especially alongside Gabrielle Neveah Green’s snarky-but-lovable street urchin, Elle.

The series isn’t pulling any punches with the rest of its cast, either. Filling out the tale of how Gizmo made it to the Wing family is a star-studded lineup that includes a Mulan reunion, with Ming-Na Wen and BD Wong playing Sam’s parents, as well as the legendary James Hong, Sandra Oh, and George Takei, playing what might be the standout guest role of the season. I won’t reveal who Zach Galligan — returning to the franchise after playing Billy Peltzer forty years ago — voices, but he’s a delight as well, and in a world where A-list actors don’t bother doing voices other than their own for animated work (looking at you, Seth Rogen), the lineup here is immense fun, with actors often voicing zany background roles in their episodes as well.

Image via Max

The standout, though, is Matthew Rhys, who’s clearly having the time of his life as Riley Greene, the malicious villain with a penchant for unhinging his own jaw. A children’s story is nothing without a dramatic villain, and Greene is exactly that — a magic-wielding, selfish monster whose only desire is immortality… which happens to come in the form of eating the adorable, innocent Mogwai. Totally normal fare for a show marketed to families, right?

But, at the heart of it, that’s what makes Secrets of the Mogwai such a great watch — its willingness to lean into what made the original film… well, scary. Despite the fact that it’s animated, and clearly geared towards children given its protagonists, Secrets of the Mogwai has no qualms about slicing off limbs, melting Mogwai in the sun, or all manner of other gnarly set pieces. It’s Baby’s Guide to Body Horror, and while it’s certainly not trying to be an animated David Cronenberg piece, it’s refreshing to watch the series lean into the franchise’s signature destruction. Just because Gizmo’s cute doesn’t mean death isn’t lurking around every corner.

Image via Max

That mindset is bolstered by the world the creators have dreamed up to fit the Mogwai into. No longer is Gizmo a lone supernatural creature invading the human world, but simply one of many in a magical world, drawn from Chinese folklore and built out with evil innkeepers, trickster spirits, and literal ghost towns. While the need to explain the Mogwai’s quirks away — including the iconic rules — isn’t strictly necessary, it never feels like soulless backstory for a movie that didn’t need one to begin with. The China of Secrets of the Mogwai is imaginative and colorful and entertaining, going far beyond being just a toned-down version of Dante’s original film. In fact, it’s the opposite, with evil Mogwais and creation gods ramping the chaos up to eleven, all the while never forgetting where it came from.

It’s rare that a prequel — especially one premiering nearly forty years after the original — manages to live up to the original, so much so that I foster the exact same feelings for it. Normally, it’s a case of close but no cigar, with prequel properties failing to understand the kind of magic that made their predecessor so special to audiences, beyond just aping its characters and plot points for a shallow rehash. But even as Secrets of the Mogwai pays homage to Gremlins’ iconic bar scene, it’s never a retread, instead using the film as a starting point for a whole new and exciting story. I’d say you could hand that cigar straight to Gizmo to celebrate, but… well, you’ve seen what happens when we let Mogwai loose in the past.

Rating: A

Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai premieres on Max on May 23.