Released: June 2019
Director: Lars Klevberg
Rated R
Run Time: 90 Minutes
Distributor: 20th Century Fox/Orion Studios
Genre: Horror
Cast:
Aubrey Plaza: Karen
Gabriel Bateman: Andy
David Lewis: Shane
Brian Tyree Henry: Mike
Carlease Burke: Doreen
Mark Hamill: Chucky(voice)
I’ve been watching horror movies for as long as I can remember. These days, I tend to drift more towards the shock-driven style of horror like I Spit on Your Grave. But, I also love supernatural horror like Warlock, as well as the tried-and-true slasher film like Friday the 13th. Horror is one of the most expansive and inclusive genres within the film medium. You can have horror movies that include comedy, drama, action, and science fiction. When done right, those films can be some of the most compelling experiences that one can have at the movies. Growing up, my mom was particularly wary about the kinds of movies I would watch. When it came to stuff like Indiana Jones and Star Wars, she was more than happy to let me sit in front of the tube and enjoy myself. When it came to the more R-rated and violent variety, she was a little bit more hesitant, but still didn’t keep me from watching those movies. Of course, my dad was like, “go ahead.” That brings me to Child’s Play. The original Child’s Play from the 1980s was my very first real horror movie that I saw. My mom was not happy about that at all, let me tell you. The irony of the situation is that I really didn’t like the movie at all. I didn’t like the idea of a movie about a doll that was possessed by a voodoo-wielding serial killer. I saw it some years back, and my opinion of the film hasn’t changed: I hated it. I loved Brad Dourif as the voice of Chucky, but he was the only really good part about the movie. That brings me 2019’s remake of Child’s Play.
Instead of following a voodoo-wielding serial killer like in the original film, the new Child’s Play follows young Andy as he gets an early birthday present from his mom, Karen. The present is a Buddi Doll named Chucky, an AI-enhanced toy designed to be child-friendly. After opening the box and activating the doll, Andy and his mother notice that something about the doll isn’t quite right, but they decide to keep it anyway. After a while, Andy begins bonding with Chucky, as Chucky starts learning about things in the home. When stressful situations arise in Andy’s home, Chucky starts learning the wrong things, and when Andy takes Chucky to his new friends’ house to watch a movie, Chucky begins learning about violence. Soon, bizarre things begin to happen and bodies start piling up. Okay, the idea of a psychotic doll isn’t anything new these days, but what makes this one different from the original film, is that Chucky is driven by a form of artificial intelligence that begins to learn very quickly. To me, that’s a little more unnerving and a bit more plausible than a doll possessed by the soul of serial killer. The warnings and dangers of AI is pretty much spelled out for you over the course of the film. In that regard, it’s more like a miniature Terminator. The idea that a doll that has no safety restrictions being able to control other devices using Bluetooth technology and the Cloud is pretty unsettling. It’s not the greatest plot in the universe, but it works for what it is.
Look at it. LOOK AT IT. LOOK. AT. IT. Is this the kind of doll you want to be buying your kids? On one hand, I really don’t like this design, because it really creeps you out from the beginning. The original design from the original film at least looked like a real toy that parents would be willing to shell out money for. This sucker? Most people would be like, “How about no?” On the other hand, when this thing goes full on murder-mode, it’s pretty scary-looking and very effective. There are moments throughout the film where CGI is used, but I could barely tell. Most of the time it’s an actual prop and puppet. Making it more of a practical thing instead of being completely CG makes it feel like it’s real. The actors can touch and react to it instead of staring at a green tennis ball where the doll should be. It’s also a huge plus that the blood and gore effects are practical. When somebody gets sprayed in the face with arterial blood, they’re actually getting sprayed. It’s the same thing with the prosthetic effects. The movie actually gets pretty creative with its kills. Yet, despite their gruesomeness, the kills are actually kind of funny at the same time, because the idea of a murderous doll is incredibly ridiculous. The film knows it and just goes for it.
While I’m not a fan of the original Child’s Play movies, I have to give credit where it’s due: Brad Dourif. He made Chucky an iconic figure in horror movies. Despite this remake, they seem to still be making sequels to the original film, which is unusual. For this new film, they brought in legendary voice actor and Luke Skywalker himself to voice Chucky: Mark Hamill. Mark Hamill is one of the most celebrated voice actors in the industry. He’s played the Joker for longer than anyone and his performance in the Star Wars films is really good. He’s one of my favorite people. He gives Chucky an almost tragic kind quality when the doll starts malfunctioning, but goes full-on creeper mode towards the end of the film, and it’s an incredible performance. Combine that with the doll’s design and you have one of the creepiest characters in modern horror. Everyone else is pretty good, but the other standouts are Aubrey Plaza as Karen and Gabriel Bateman as Andy. The dynamic between the two feels pretty natural as a mother-and-son duo. She’s struggling to put food on the table while dealing with a teenager. It feels genuine. The other ones are Bryan Tyree Henry as Mike and Carlease Burke as his mother, Doreen. While the characterizations are fairly weak, these were the strongest characters in the film, as they should be. Everybody else seemed to be Chucky-fodder. Special mention must be made of Bear McCreary’s music. It’s a wild soundtrack. It’s both whimsical at times, and really haunting at others.
Well, that one’s horrifying. I have to be perfectly honest here: I’m not a huge of the franchise. I hated the original films, and never saw any of the ones past the third. However, this remake knows how to have fun. Yeah, it’s definitely violent, but there’s plenty of humor to be had here. It works a lot better than I think it had any right to. The design of the doll is just…well….look at it. The acting is solid and Mark Hamill just steals the show as Chucky. He’s fantastic. Combine all that with some really solid practical effects and a musical score that’s just bonkers, and you have a pretty decent slasher here. It’s not the greatest film ever made, but that wasn’t the film’s intention. It wanted to be a fun little horror film and it succeeds at that. I would honestly say that fans of the genre should give this one a shot.
My Final Recommendation: Chucky-fodder. How the hell did I come up with that one? 8.5/10