Child's Play Review

Disclaimer: Contains spoilers!

Plot Summary: Unbeknownst to a boy and his mother, the boy's new toy is possessed by the spirit of a serial killer.

Review: Now we come to my least favorite of the major horror icons: Chucky; I will also refer to the franchise and its sequels as Chucky part whatever--just as I had with Jason and Freddy. It's not that I don't like these films or the character, but, unlike the other horror icons, Chucky drifted into the realm of comedy far too quickly and most of the movies suck in general; I was half expecting him to end up in space alongside Pinhead and Jason. If it weren't for how scary this first entry was, I would probably lump the franchise, as a whole, merely one or two notches above the horrendous "Puppet Master" franchise (maybe that's a little too rough). Anyway, some people may know this, but the original idea behind "Child's Play" was that the doll was meant to be a physical manifestation of Andy's rage--Andy being the protagonist in the first three movies. The "Good Guy" doll was an obvious ripoff of "My Buddy," yet is remembered far more easily than that god awful toy. Chucky's backstory and the whole voodoo crap was tacked on later for better or worse. In fact, if you watch this film but skip right to the introduction of Andy, it makes the movie feel way more scary. Therefore, we must understand, the first movie was meant to be more psychological and scary, but the lameness that is Chucky simultaneously is what established this film as a franchise...so it's a tossup. I do feel as though they needed Chucky or else we'd essentially have what would later become "Pinocchio's Revenge," (another forgettable piece of shit) but I do wish he stayed creepy rather than trying to be funny like Freddy with stupid one-liners after each kill.

Okay, enough talking shit on Chucky, let's discuss why this movie is actually scary and address that it contains one of the scariest moments in film history. The pacing helps ease the viewer in gradually, balancing storyline aspects evenly, but the scary shit starts fairly early on. The music is decent and does leave a haunting image especially during the end credits. The acting is good, and I don't care what people say about Alex Vincent as Andy--his acting was great at times. The doll moving around on its own and Andy talking to it feels unsettling as it is, but imagine if you were the parent and how weird it would be that people are dying and your kid is the main suspect. Either that or you must come to terms with the fact that your kid's stories about the doll being alive are true. This is an added layer of disturbance, because both outlooks are grim since you're kid is either crazy or you have to deal with supernatural forces. You have the cliches like someone running by in the background and other nuances, but they still work well enough to add to the mystery as to whether or not it's the doll or Andy. Chucky admittedly looks creepier as the normal Good Guy doll than when he is "alive," so the eyes turning to face people and those kind of details are cool early on. Obviously the best scene is when Andy's mom, Karen, played by milf Catherine Hicks, discovers Chucky never had batteries all that time. This scene alone is beyond frightening and easily one of the scariest moments of any movie ever. Sometimes you forget how scary this scene can be when you imagine all the implications it expresses, but the sequels have, unfortunately, overshadowed this fact. Another part that is severely overlooked is when they burn Chucky and he comes after Andy in the hall. That shot of the charred Chucky lurching over Andy is genuinely creepy! I mean, seriously, why does Chucky never try to scare people on this level ever again? Oh right, 'cause he's too busy saying shit like "Don't fuck with the Chuck." One final thing I rarely see others mention is the inference that somehow Chucky does possess Andy in the end. Even as a kid I thought that when Chucky "dies," and his voice goes back to the Good Guy voice, I thought that it sounded like Andy. Then you consider that awkward look on Andy's face and the freeze frame final shot making Andy look suspicious. I just felt they might have been leaving the option open for making Chucky be inside Andy. Maybe they were hearkening back to "Trilogy of Terror" with that killer doll possessing someone after being burned.

To remember the better days of when Chucky was scary:

So if this film was legitimately scary, why did the franchise spiral into idiocy? I hate to admit it, but the foundation of Chucky as the horror icon were in the making from the beginning, and so were the stupid plot elements. First off, there are moments when Chucky is dicking around and trying to be funny from the onset; there aren't a lot of these moments, but they are there nonetheless. The voodoo plotline makes no sense and is stupid to boot. If Chucky can put his spirit in a doll, wouldn't it stand to reason he could put his spirit in any inanimate object? It would make more sense if he could only put himself into living things. I'm only mentioning this, because of the whole "turning human" plotline this franchise brings up often. It makes no sense, and is inconsistent, as to why being in the doll would make the doll more human-like. Plus, why would that voodoo guy teach Chucky any of this shit and why would that imbecile keep a voodoo doll of himself lying around AND tell Chucky about it?! But to be fair, the voodoo plot elements were not in the original script which is why I judge it less harshly. Beyond that, we have the sheer realization that Chucky is not intimidating in the least. Other than the initial fear, you quickly realize he's maybe two feet tall, at best, and should be light as hell; flailing about in a cartoonish manner when he attacks doesn't help things either. Thankfully Chucky is not as blatant, in this first movie though, and works more by stealth until everyone knows he's alive.

This is one of those cases where the sequels have drastically weakened the impact of the first film, but I still love this movie. It's scary naturally, but is so much better if you haven't watched the sequels or can be objective while watching this one. The killer doll idea is nothing new, but they work with the material in a way that instills dread while providing a modest mystery with cool intrigue until the reveal about midway in. I think it goes without saying that the scares are the best in this entry, and that one particular scene is among the best ever which gives this film bonus points for having such a truly memorable scene that can stand up in light of all the detractors. All the facets of the film somehow work successfully and there is even some '80s magic adding icing to the cake. Overall, this is the best entry in the franchise, hands down, and definitely worth a view.

Notable Moment: When Karen is examining the Good Guy box and the batteries fall out. Then, with glorious tension, she inspects Chucky and discovers he, in fact, has no batteries. This is quickly followed by Chucky's head spinning around as he says, "Hi, I'm Chucky, wanna play!" So creepy and unsettling to say the least...definitely one of the scariest moments of all time. It also helps that Chucky is in the normal Good Guy form.

Final Rating: 7/10