History Film / Critters

On October 2018, Creator/SyFy announced they plan to reboot the series by adding sequels on their network as part of their acquisition of multiple properties such as ''Film/KillerKlownsFromOuterSpace'' and ''Film/{{Leprechaun}}''.

* {{Fingore}}: In the original April's boyfriend Steve (Billy Zane) gets his fingers on his right hand bitten off by one of the crites as he reaches to change the radio station.

* HumanPopsicle: Charlie and a two Crite eggs get cryogenically frozen at the end of the third film, setting up the events of part 4.
* InsignificantLittleBluePlanet: It was noted by ''Series/SiskelAndEbert'' that the charm of the film was that the humans in the film were caught in the middle of a fight between aliens, rather than fighting the aliens.
* LargeAndInCharge: The larger Crites usually leads the other Crites in a group. This was shown when Ug disguises himself as a larger one.
* MagicCountdown: {{Subverted}}, because the ship's AI is too stupid to realize that [[TalkingIsAFreeAction talking is]] ''[[TalkingIsAFreeAction not]]'' [[TalkingIsAFreeAction a free action.]]

* NumberedSequels

The series is often compared to the ''Film/{{Gremlins}}'' series despite the script for the film having been before the film was released.

On October 2018, Creator/SyFy announced they plan to reboot the series by adding sequels on their network as part of their acquisition of multiple properties such as Film/KillerKlownsFromOuterSpace and Film/Leprechaun.

** Any humans killed by the bounty hunters.
** Not to mention the landlord and the Janitor in ''Critters 3''.

* EarthIsABattlefield: The TropeCodifier. It was noted by ''Series/SiskelAndEbert'' that the charm of the film was that the humans in the film were caught in the middle of a fight between aliens, rather than fighting the aliens.

''Critters'' is a film series featuring a group of deadly little furry aliens with several rows of teeth known as "Crites". The first film, directed by Stephen Herek, was released in 1986. In it, the title creatures terrorize a farm, with a pair of alien bounty hunters on their trail. It Starred a young Creator/ScottGrimes; also starring: Dee Wallace-Stone, M. Emmet Walsh, [[Series/StarTrekVoyager Ethan Phillips]], Billy Zane, Don Keith Opper, and Terrance Mann. The latter two would appear in all of the films.

* BadassGrandma: Ms. Mendes in ''Critters 3'', even if she only gets to show it once.
-->'''Mrs. Mendes:''' How about a meat cleaver, dear?
-->*holds up gigantic meat cleaver*

* HeroicBSOD: Ug completely loses it when his partner is killed in ''Critters 2''.

* SequelHook: The first film ends with a shot of Crite eggs, while the third film ends with a space pod showing up to get the last Crite eggs from Charlie and a "To be continued" cliffhanger.

* StockFootage: The exterior shots in ''Critters 4'' are cobbled together from a variety of sci-fi films. The Bounty hunters use fast forwarded stock footage to learn about 1980s era Earth aka American pop culture to assimilate. One of the bounty hunters takes on the form of Johnny Steel an 80s Rock Musician

* AssholeVictim: Any humans killed by the bounty hunters.

* TheBlank: Ugg and Lee's default forms are glowing green faces that lack features.

* CaliforniaDoubling: The first film was shot in Kansas, where the story takes place. However, while ''Critters 2'' also takes place in the same area, it was shot near Los Angeles.

* DarkerAndEdgier: The first two had their grim moments but weren't so bad, there were no super terrifying deaths.The second was a bit darker with Lee's death. The third one was a bit lighter once we got past the jerk ass landlord's very gory death. The fourth is the darkest with the highest amount of the cast dying and [[spoiler: Ug becoming an asshole and getting killed by Charlie.]]

* GiantMook[=/=]KingMook: A larger Crite appears in each of the first two films. [[spoiler:Though, the one in the second movie turned out to be Ug in disguise.]]

* OhCrap: Quite a few, but the father's reaction in the first film when one of the Crites' poison spines slams into the wood an inch from his eyes is probably the strongest example.

* RecycledInSpace: Though the Crites are canonically aliens, the first movies take place mostly on Earth. The fourth film shifts things to a sci-fi setting, and ''Franchise/{{Alien}}'' and ''Franchise/StarWars'' rip-offs abound. It's even called ''Critters 4: Critters in Space''.

* TemptingFate: "They have weapons." "So what?" BLAM.

The third film, starring LeonardoDiCaprio in his film debut, begins when a family who has recently lost their mother move into an apartment, followed by the title creatures after hitching a ride in their truck.

* AIIsACrapshoot: The computer system on board the fourth film's space base is much to be desired. It does the opposite of what it is ordered and generally isn't very helpful.

* AIIsACrapshoot: The computer system on board the fourth film's space base is shit.

* DestructiveSavior: The bounty hunters in the first film
* FaceHeelTurn: At some point in the years between films three and four, formerly heroic BadAss Ug becomes a corporate asshole.

* FunWithSubtitles: "Critterese" gets translated into English this way.

* GroinAttack: The unfortunate Easter bunny in ''Critters 2''.

* HumanPopsicle: Charlie and a few Crite eggs get cryogenically frozen at the end of the third film, setting up the events of part 4.

* PrecisionFStrike: Uttered by a Krite (its subtitled) in the original.

* SuddenSequelHeelSyndrome: Ug in the fourth movie.
* TalkingIsAFreeAction: PlayedForLaughs and {{averted}} in the fourth film's climax.

* BountyHunter: [[SpaceX Space bounty hunters]] are despatched to kill the Crites in the original film, and feature to some extent in all the sequels.

* TheCanKickedHim: In the original a Krite tries to escape via the toilet, which is then blown up.
* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: Charlie throughout the four films is shown to be pretty idiotic, naive, awkward, goofy, and sometimes doesn't think things through. Yet he demonstrates good aim at times (blows up several Crits in the third movie), bravery (end of the second film), willpower (end of the fourth film), adaption of future tech minutes after unfreezing (figured out how to fire a laser gun but his aim was a little off), and improvising when it counts (1st film).
* DarkerAndEdgier: The first two had their grim moments but weren't so bad, there were no super terrifying deaths, the second was a bit darker with Lee's death. The third one was a bit lighter once we got past the jerk ass landlord's very gory death. The fourth is the darkest with the highest amount of the cast dying and [[spoiler: Ug becoming an asshole and getting killed by Charlie.]]

* RidiculouslyCuteCritter: Not so much.

* TheBlank: Ugg and Lee's default forms are white faces that lack features.

* CaliforniaDoubling: The series both subverted this trope ''and'' played it straight: The first film was shot in Kansas, where the story takes place. However, while ''Critters 2'' also takes place in the same area, it was shot near Los Angeles.

* TheWormThatWalks: More like the every-hungry ball that rolls.