Written by: Kevin Berge
What's scarier: a psychopath in the body of a children's toy or a children's toy with violent programming? The answer: whatever one is in your house at the moment. Run for your life! (Image Courtesy of: cinemablend.com)
Quick Take: Child's Play (1988) establishes its premise well and execute with just brutal fun that it works. The insane premise is carried by a tightrope walk of comedy and horror that does not fall flat at any point. It is made only for slasher fans.
Quick Take: Child's Play (2019) is a fascinating modern revamp of the original that uses technology better while still keeping the gory fun. It is not as focused and complete an experience, but it is still closer to the original than most of the sequels.
Quick Take: Child's Play (2019) is a fascinating modern revamp of the original that uses technology better while still keeping the gory fun. It is not as focused and complete an experience, but it is still closer to the original than most of the sequels.
***This review does not contain spoilers for Child's Play. If you have not seen one or the other and planned to do so, you can read ahead without risk as the article only focuses on the broad strokes of the films.***
The slasher genre can ultimately feel limited, so the best ideas within the genre are to create an idea so memorable that people will need to see it. Chucky was the unique idea that made Child's Play a successful franchise from the outset.
What if a murderous psychopath played by Brad Dourif (Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers) inhabited a doll? Obviously, that doll would go on a murderous rampage, and no one would truly be able to stop him, except the child who wanted to play with him.
Chucky is a horror icon, even though the overall quality of his movies over the years are not high. While I have not seen all of them, I did take the time to compare side-by-side the old-school and new-school approach to Chucky in Hollywood.
The 1988 edition was a ridiculous idea of a man looking to live forever inhabiting this doll. Dourif is delightfully evil as Chucky, selling the sinister presence of this terrifying character. He makes Chucky scarier than most of the known slasher icons out there because he is just wildly unrelenting.
He is most reminiscent of Freddy Krueger, but he has far less power. He is just a doll with the intelligence of a man and an unstoppable power. He is rude and crass and unrelenting. He has no qualms about killing anyone, even just for getting on his nerves.
The 2019 reboot creates a different kind of Chucky. He is not the crass murderous Chucky but a deadly killer machine, hell-bent on his violent programming. He is still a small murderous package, but he trades the humor for a scary sense of pure purpose.
Both films have their own merits, but they are very different. It would have been easy to just do more Chucky, this time with Mark Hamill (Batman: The Animated Series) as the monster. Instead, Hamill's likability is a major factor for the sequel.
The slasher genre can ultimately feel limited, so the best ideas within the genre are to create an idea so memorable that people will need to see it. Chucky was the unique idea that made Child's Play a successful franchise from the outset.
What if a murderous psychopath played by Brad Dourif (Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers) inhabited a doll? Obviously, that doll would go on a murderous rampage, and no one would truly be able to stop him, except the child who wanted to play with him.
Chucky is a horror icon, even though the overall quality of his movies over the years are not high. While I have not seen all of them, I did take the time to compare side-by-side the old-school and new-school approach to Chucky in Hollywood.
The 1988 edition was a ridiculous idea of a man looking to live forever inhabiting this doll. Dourif is delightfully evil as Chucky, selling the sinister presence of this terrifying character. He makes Chucky scarier than most of the known slasher icons out there because he is just wildly unrelenting.
He is most reminiscent of Freddy Krueger, but he has far less power. He is just a doll with the intelligence of a man and an unstoppable power. He is rude and crass and unrelenting. He has no qualms about killing anyone, even just for getting on his nerves.
The 2019 reboot creates a different kind of Chucky. He is not the crass murderous Chucky but a deadly killer machine, hell-bent on his violent programming. He is still a small murderous package, but he trades the humor for a scary sense of pure purpose.
Both films have their own merits, but they are very different. It would have been easy to just do more Chucky, this time with Mark Hamill (Batman: The Animated Series) as the monster. Instead, Hamill's likability is a major factor for the sequel.
Everyone should show their kids Child's Play to convince them to stop demanding toys. What's a little trauma next to the money you'll save? (Image Courtesy of: wbez.org)
He is creepily sincere, and he feels more like the kind of toy a parent would worry about their kid having. It's an interesting twist and leads to a modern reboot that has its own merits in its execution.
The first is just a fun murderous spree of a film that is funny and irreverent but ultimately focused on pulling off some scary kills. The second is far more focused on the horror side, lighter on the humor beyond a few delightful gags, and it has a clear message about consumer culture and belonging.
In many ways, the sequel tries harder, but it cannot reach as far as it would like. It has a stronger cast including Aubrey Plaza (Safety Not Guaranteed) and Brian Tyree Henry (Atlanta), but they cannot do all that more than in the original. It is a case of ambition vs. execution.
Child's Play (1988) knows what it is and leans in. It will forever stand as the classic of the Chucky franchise, even if it was only ever going to be for slasher buffs. Child's Play (2019) is trying to take the familiar crowd and meld them with a new audience, and it only somewhat works.
I like both movies. In my limited experience with the Chucky franchise, only the absolutely insane Cult of Chucky can match up to these two movies, and it has a very different wild goal in mind.
What matters most is that they are both fun films. It is rare that it can be said a reboot is as fun as the original. It is not as good, and you will have to deal with the odd tech behind Chucky's new look. However, it still gives a slasher fan what they want.
Neither of these movies are for everyone. They are niche films with a small but devoted audience that may not be able to sit through the complete evolution of Chucky, but that's no reason not to at least give them both a chance. Chucky just wants a chance.
The first is just a fun murderous spree of a film that is funny and irreverent but ultimately focused on pulling off some scary kills. The second is far more focused on the horror side, lighter on the humor beyond a few delightful gags, and it has a clear message about consumer culture and belonging.
In many ways, the sequel tries harder, but it cannot reach as far as it would like. It has a stronger cast including Aubrey Plaza (Safety Not Guaranteed) and Brian Tyree Henry (Atlanta), but they cannot do all that more than in the original. It is a case of ambition vs. execution.
Child's Play (1988) knows what it is and leans in. It will forever stand as the classic of the Chucky franchise, even if it was only ever going to be for slasher buffs. Child's Play (2019) is trying to take the familiar crowd and meld them with a new audience, and it only somewhat works.
I like both movies. In my limited experience with the Chucky franchise, only the absolutely insane Cult of Chucky can match up to these two movies, and it has a very different wild goal in mind.
What matters most is that they are both fun films. It is rare that it can be said a reboot is as fun as the original. It is not as good, and you will have to deal with the odd tech behind Chucky's new look. However, it still gives a slasher fan what they want.
Neither of these movies are for everyone. They are niche films with a small but devoted audience that may not be able to sit through the complete evolution of Chucky, but that's no reason not to at least give them both a chance. Chucky just wants a chance.
