This was another chapter in the series I felt made things a little lukewarm. It felt more like fan service than anything. But still, I can't help but enjoy some of the original ideas behind it that further the lore of Chucky and what he can do. This one picks up where 'Curse' left off, and when all is said and done will make very little sense to viewers who haven't explored this series before. It's clear that this was one made for the fans who have been through this journey over the past few decades. We reunite with Nica Pierce (Fiona Dourif), who has been committed after being accused of the murders from the previous film, having apparent "delusions" of a Chucky (Brad Dourif) doll doing it the whole time. With plenty of positive progress, she is transferred to a medium security institution. There, in a group session, head doctor Foley (Michael Therriault) brings in a new Good Guy doll (one that came with the name of Chucky) as an attempt to make Nica see reality for what it is since she blames the murders on the doll. While she claims not to fear it, another patient named Madeleine (Elisabeth Rosen) claims the doll is her own baby, bringing some apprehension to Nica in her new setting. Meanwhile, we meet back up with Andy (Alex Vincent) and find that after the stinger at the end of 'Curse', he's been holding Chucky's head prisoner and takes delight in tormenting him due to losing his entire childhood because of him. However, what Andy doesn't realize is that Chucky did his voodoo homework and found a way to spread himself around, putting Nica and the rest of the hospital's patients in real danger. Besides the doll Madeleine has claimed as her kid, another is brought in by Tiffany (Jennifer Tilly) to give to Nica, and another is sent to Doctor Foley by an unknown source. Soon, multiple Chucky dolls are piling up a body count, and Chucky's goal for a human body just might come to pass after all these years. This one brings back just about everyone we've seen in past movies (except '3'). Andy's here, Tiffany's here, Nica's here, and there's even a special stinger cameo that I won't spoil here. The ending of the film is actually a really cool twist that one might not quite expect - but it's great for a horror movie, and without spoiling anything, I will say that it's not exactly a "happy" one. I further appreciated the various horrific ideas behind this chapter. For instance, there's this idea that this plot takes place in an asylum, and gives us more than one Chucky, lending to the concept of whether or not what these patients are seeing is real. Again, that sort of adds to the "fear factor"... Even if that very concept is used as a joke in the film. The film also brings something truly terrifying to the screen, when we see an example of a crooked doctor using his patients in nasty ways. For anyone with a mental health problem, that sort of thing can really hit home - the idea of not knowing whether or not you can trust your caretaker. That sort of thing feels scarier than the killer doll(s) present. But with it comes balance. With so many Chucky dolls walking and talking, we get that dark and twisted sense of humour that he comes with. This isn't quite on the level of the horror/comedies that 'Bride' and 'Seed' were, but the humour is still there, although I have to admit that some of the jokes end up falling kind of flat. My only real criticisms here involve... well, I hate to say it, but Andy. I'm not entirely sure of his purpose here other than providing fan service. He tries to be useful but usually isn't, and he doesn't really do much of anything. His whole secondary story is damn near pointless. You could almost take him out of this completely. I thought it was a shame that the original victim of these films got dealt such a shorthand while Nica becomes the new main. The guy came back after all this time to reprise his role, and I think he should have had more to do. Criticisms aside, there's still plenty to enjoy here. It's decent for the fans, some of the ideas are interesting and original, you might get a decent laugh here and there, and the kills are pretty damn gruesome and cool (for you gore hounds). In the end, I get the idea that this was mostly made for the fun of it all. For my money, 'Curse' was much better, but this was still decent, despite any gripes I might have. If nothing else, you have a solid performance from Fiona Douriff all the way through, and one of the more interesting endings to the films in the series. It's on par for me with 'Bride' - it's fun, and I could see it being a guilty pleasure. 3/5
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When I first went through this, I got a little excited and boosted it up to be an immediate "favourite". I can still say it's certainly one of my favourites in the franchise, but I cannot deny that it wasn't perfectly done, either. There are a few gaping plot holes to this, indeed. Having said that, though, what keeps this film in a favoured position within the franchise has everything to do with the film going back to Chucky's roots and cranking up the "creep factor" instead of giving us Chucky as we know him so quickly and easily. To begin with, what made 'Child's Play' such a good horror movie is that it was subtle throughout a good chunk of it. There's this whole space for the audience to wonder if it is all in Andy's head, and that uncertainty is terrifying no matter where it lands. Either you're looking at a child with terrible mental health issues, potentially able to kill... or the doll is actually alive and killing people, which, let's face it, is just a super creepy concept altogether. However, as the films went on, Chucky became too much of an icon to keep subtle at all - particularly in 'Bride' and 'Seed'! But thankfully, this one keeps the subtle creepiness up for most of the film. As far as suspenseful Chucky movies go, this one still comes out on top! This chapter introduces us to a new cast of characters, starting with paraplegic, Nica Pierce (Fiona Douriff - Brad's daughter) and her mother (Chantal Quesnelle). They receive a mysterious package in the mail, and upon opening it, Chucky (Brad Douriff) is revealed, and given to little Alice (Summer Howell), the daughter of Nica's sister, Barb (Danielle Bisutti) and husband, Ian (Brennan Elliott) who come by to stay for a little while, after Nica suffers through a major tragedy. Things start happening around the house, and it goes back to the old "Chucky did it" or "Chucky said it" ways of the first film - which, again, was part of what made things creepy, to begin with. The overall plot of things, I suppose, is at a point of what's to be expected. However, this time, the whole "finding a human body" thing takes a real back seat to the mystery horror that involves Chucky going around this mansion, murdering people, and again, taking the mental health of Alice into consideration as well as Nica's. I further admire that by making Nica paraplegic, it adds to this idea of being helpless against a little doll. Logically, the viewer's mind just says to give him a good solid kick to the face with a steel-toed boot. But if you're not able to do that and are confined to a wheelchair, that victim vulnerability just makes more sense. Another thing to admire about this chapter was the cinematography. There was something about the way this was filmed, using lighting to its advantage, as well as certain perspectives that just added to the horror aspect of everything. It's a true breath of fresh air from the horror comedies were 'Bride' and 'Seed'. Those were okay for a time when horror was becoming self-aware and silly, but eventually, that got old, and things needed to get eerie again. 'Curse of Chucky' delivers things very nicely as a bit more of a haunted house film than a straight-up slasher flick, which is nice because it brings back that psychological factor we've been missing for a while. When it comes to Chucky, himself, there's something more sinister feeling about this particular incarnation. He has a range of faces, going from the innocent Chucky Doll who "likes to be hugged" to the sadistic-looking Charles Lee Ray persona who possesses the doll. But going beyond that, here, we catch Chucky in between poses and his face gets an EXTRA creepy look to it. I think this is the only movie he ever does that, but the look he gives is nightmare fuel. His kills are another thing to be admired (in a way). The movie does a great job with the fake-out kill. You assume someone's gonna get offed one way, but it ends up being completely different. Unpredictability, especially in horror, is always something to be admired. Heck, this chapter even has creepier music added to it. Director Don Mancini REALLY stepped up for this one after the overall disappointment that was 'Seed'. He does a good job with bringing things together as well, connecting this a little bit more to the original trilogy than the newer "Chucky" stuff - although it should be clear that by the end of the film it ALL sort of comes together. The film, as a whole, is a pretty great smorgasbord for fans of the franchise. It refers back to the previous films, there's plenty of fan service, and nostalgia, and it's a great balance of fun and scary. But it does it without becoming a horror comedy. It's just my humble opinion, but I'd say it's easily one of the best in the series. 4/5 The 'Child's Play' movies are quite a slice of strangeness, going from dark Voodoo magic all the way to sex scenes with dolls. But for my money, it doesn't get stranger than this one. Continuing what I like to call the "Chucky Saga", it could break down even further to make 'Bride' and 'Seed' a pair that stands on its own. They're the only two involving Chucky developing a sort of family, and when they're over, there's not MUCH pointing back to them (save for a couple of cameos, but we'll get to those in further reviews). While I have to admit that I kind of admire what they were trying to do here, I have to say that this is where the series finally reached "overkill". It begins when 'Bride' leaves us hanging in the same way 'Alien vs Predator' did; with a brief glimpse of a new horrific offspring. 'Seed' carries things on six years later, when we meet who will become Glen/Glenda (Billy Boyd), living a life of embarrassment and abuse as a ventriloquist's dummy. The film makes a really big jump, and there's no real explanation as to what happened to him between his birth and where he is now. Also, his name on stage is "Shitface", which I admit makes for a decent laugh later in the film. Soon enough, he sees Chucky (Brad Douriff) and Tiffany (Jennifer Tilly) on TV, promoting a new meta movie about the mysterious killings taking place over the years, ironically with Jennifer Tilly playing the lead role. At this point, Chuck and Tiff are restored, lifeless dolls, only brought to life with Hollywood animatronics. Instantly, the kid manages to put together that they are his parents. He manages to run away from the ventriloquist and travels to Hollywood to find his parents. Conveniently, he even accidentally brings them back to life by using the amulet Chucky supposedly left him. It feels like there's a lot missing, but nevertheless, Chucky and Tiffany come back, realize they have a son or daughter, and they tend to fight over which - Glen or Glenda? Meanwhile, Jennifer Tilly is starting to lose out on her promising career, even bringing up her Oscar nomination that the entire world probably forgot about from back in '95 for 'Bullets Over Broadway'. So she does the logical thing by auditioning for Redman (also playing himself) for the role of the Virgin Mary. Long story short, the pair become the new human targets for Chucky and Tiffany to transfer their souls into. And, needing someone to transfer the kid into, there are some unfortunate artificial insemination gags that go on here, with Tilly as the surrogate. So yeah, things definitely get weird here for a movie about a possessed killer doll, his bride and his son/daughter, all of whom were made in Japan. Now, there are two things in movies like this that I truly admire. For one, the lead celebrity (Tilly) is able to laugh at herself and is clearly having fun with the role. Secondly, I'm a sucker for fourth-wall gags. But with those mentioned, this is a film that delivers these things with a hand as heavy as an Acme anvil. Tilly can definitely poke fun at herself, but if this was indeed written for her, I can't help but feel that a lot of it was very intentional, almost punishing her. The voice, the weight (oh please), the personality, it's all seemingly bullied here. If she's cool with it, then God bless her. If she improvised it, even better. Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but honestly, a lot of it feels very "low-blow". Then we get into a really messed up message about being true to ourselves. In Glen/Glenda's case, it's all well and good. But in Chucky's case... it may not quite be the right message in the end. Then again, these are R-rated slasher flicks and not Pixar, so I suppose I can't expect too much in that category. It really does end up being the strangest entry into the series, in my opinion. It plays as much more of a comedy/fantasy with hints of slasher horror than a straight-up comedy/horror like last time, and you can't help but feel the script came from someone's fan fiction. I'll give them credit for trying out something new and taking the idea of making Chucky a horror/comedy icon a bit further. However, this really does just get ridiculous, and you can't help but find it pretty mean-spirited, even for a slasher flick. It's not bad for a chuckle, and I could see it being a potential guilty pleasure for people. But anything that ever was scary about Chucky seems to have been thrown out the window here. This has to be the weakest, silliest entry into the franchise, and for a while, Chucky and Tiffany would be untouched following this. As for Shitface/Glen/Glenda? - spoiler alert: never comes back! So one might say... there wasn't a whole lot of point to this chapter. 2/5 Within the realm of horror history and its big-wigs, the early 90s marked the end of a lot of it. 'Child's Play 3' wrapped up the Chucky trilogy, 'Freddy's Dead' and 'Jason Goes to Hell' killed off the two biggest horror names of the era (with a certain tease that seemed to last forever), and no one but the die-hard fans really cared anymore. That is until Wes Craven made 'Scream', added some fourth-wall comedy to the mix, made it self-aware, and slasher horror could pretty much be considered reborn after that. It got to the point where self-aware horror and horror comedy seemed to be the future. Chucky was almost the perfect horror villain to resurrect for this era and resurrect him they did, this time with a partner in crime in the aptly named 'Bride of Chucky'. Funny story though, this was actually my introduction to Chucky, so I was probably expecting more of an actual creepy horror movie than the corniness that this ended up being. At the time, I simply wasn't a fan, but I also didn't fully grasp that it was always meant to be a self-aware horror comedy, even suggesting itself that it's dated through a bit of dialogue. Needless to say, my opinion on this has differed quite a bit since then. Taking place approximately one month after the events of 'Child's Play 3' (at least according to Wiki), Andy is now taken out of the picture completely, and we're introduced to Chucky's old girlfriend, Tiffany (Jennifer Tilly). She gets her hands on the somehow not-so-exploded Chucky (Brad Douriff), stitches him together using spare doll parts, and through using a 'Voodoo for Dummies' book, resurrects Chucky. They reunite, but get into a fight immediately, which prompts Chucky to practice his Voodoo expertise by transferring Tiffany's soul to a doll of her own, and soon enough, the pair become a Bonnie and Clyde-like duo who are now both out for a human body to inhabit. Their best option seems to be a couple of dumb teenagers; Tiffany's neighbour, Jesse (Nick Stable) and his girlfriend, Jade (Katherine Heigl). As with so many of these love-interest situations in horror movies, we have the classic overprotective father figure (in this case an uncle played by John Ritter) who is part of a whole side story involving the couple. And, as things develop between Jesse and Jade, things also develop between Chucky and Tiffany and, well... as one can probably imagine, it does get pretty weird... like think 'Team America', but a bit less extreme humour and a bit more intimate... somehow. But as weird as it gets, I have to admit that there's still a fair share of fun moments for horror fans, including the odd Easter egg. But there's still a lot of it that simply falls flat. Most of the comedy involved here has to do with the struggling relationship between Chucky and Tiffany, and at times things get pretty lame, and even a bit awkward (again, we have doll sex here, people). I also just have a personal pet peeve when it comes to comedy being based on the bickering of a couple, and that's where most of the laughs come from here, although it does take it to a dark level here, so I'll cut it a little slack. As for what stands out, I think the Chucky and Tiffany dolls look pretty damn awesome in their execution. It may look a tad more cartoonish, but one must bear in mind that these are still dolls, so realism can only go so far with something like this. I also like the idea of Chucky having some war wounds Less creepy, sure, but more menacing and fitting for the direction they went with things. Really, Chucky and Tiff carried this movie, because the acting was... not great. It's an interesting situation when the two puppets from the film far outweigh the acting skills of everyone else, somehow including John Ritter. I'd sooner blame the actual direction, but it's not really an impressive film for any of these actors' resumes as a stand-out performance. It's still a half-decent self-aware horror/comedy, constructed for those who are not only 'Child's Play' fans, but 'Child's Play' fans who fully realize that the whole idea is silly, and not entirely scary. It does a decent job of breaking the fourth wall ever so slightly, too, which is always fun. But one will have to keep in mind that this is where the series takes a turn. If you want classic 'Child's Play', you're out of luck here, because we go less on the horror and more on the self-aware humour. I think today, I could consider this and the next chapter in the series to be guilty pleasures, but this is the moment fans will divide into camps of "original trilogy" vs the newer "Chucky saga", which begins here. 3/5 It's just a personal opinion, but here we have what's probably the least watch-worthy chapter of the original 'Child's Play' trilogy - when things were still called 'Child's Play' and not '(blank) of Chucky'. I can't say it's completely without its moments, but while the first and second were still horror movies, this is where things started to shift to horror/comedy. So with me enjoying that sort of self-awareness so much, there's a part of me that gets a kick out of it... but that doesn't mean it's not still quite bad. The horror/comedy aspect of this film feels weird and out of place for some reason. When 'Jason Lives' did it, it did a good job of showing us that it didn't take itself seriously. This is still a bit more of a horror movie though, and doesn't seem to know what it's going for. It's not as scary as the first two, not as comedic as the next two, and falls somewhere in this sort of middle ground, which sounds better than it really is. More than anything, it felt like a last-effort cash grab for the series. Bear in mind, this was 1991, so the slasher genre was at a point of dwindling interest, while movies like 'Silence of the Lambs' reminded us that horror could have drama and strength behind it. We start the film off with Chucky's (Brad Douriff) resurrection. Once again he's rebuilt and comes back to life, but this time before the credits stop rolling (way to build tension). The Play Pals toy company is running out of ideas and running out of money, so it's recommended that after 8 years, they bring the Good Guy doll back on the market - starting with Chucky, the rebuild of the old doll. Why they wanted to rebuild a melted heap of plastic to bring back a doll that has offered them nothing but bad publicity over the years? Your guess is as good as mine. I mean, they could just start from scratch but... we need to bring Chucky back to life for this movie, right? Enter Andy (Justin Whalin), now 16, who is shipped off to Military School after a series of foster home failures. There, he befriends a boy named Tyler (Jeremy Sylvers), a dude named Whitehurst (Dean Jacobson) and a girl named DeSilva (Perrey Reeves). He also has to cope with lieutenant colonel Brett C. Shelton (Travis Fine), who routinely bullies the cadets in ways that make one sincerely question any legality behind them. Times are tough for Andy now, but he holds his own as he tries to push through it with the support of his newfound friends. But little does he know, an old "friend" has figured out where he is. Chucky manages to mail himself to Andy, only to stumble across Tyler instead, who greedily takes the package and opens it to find Chucky in his Good Guy package. Now we hit rewind a bit to remind the audience that Chucky's curse includes the need to transfer his soul into the first human body to who he reveals his identity. In the first one, it was Andy, and upon his reconstruction in the second one, it was still Andy. This time, things just go back to the original rules for whatever reason, and Andy's taken out of the picture because THIS time, his first big reveal is to little Tyler. Basically, the plot here is as simple as "Protect the kid from Chucky"; one of these what I like to call, "Escort Mission" movies. I will give the film a touch of credit for some pretty good casting for Andy with Whalin; marking the only time Andy isn't played by Alex Vincent. One could potentially convince me that it was supposed to be the same kid. But having said that, the overall acting here leaves a lot to be desired - even if it is a standard horror movie of the time. It's hard to put my finger on it, but there's something about 'Look Who's Stalking' (by the way, that's the full title of this movie) that just feels like a rush of a crank-out to make a quick buck and give Chucky one final ride, as filmmakers are seeing slasher horror falling apart around them by this point. While the 'Child's Play' movies are by no means perfect, I still tend to hold the first two in higher regard than this one. As mentioned in my previous review of 'Child's Play 2', they do a good job of splitting types of horror between the original two, balancing psychological and physical with small doses of comedy. By this point, Chucky was seen as a bit of a joke, burning out bright but fast. I guess the little guy certainly made his mark for the time, but any scariness behind Chucky was definitely taken out with this particular chapter. LUCKILY, however, Chucky would eventually be resurrected to embrace the horror/comedy aspect fully in a few years from this with 'Bride', but I have to admit, it gets super weird from there! 2/5 The 80s breathed life into some of the most iconic horror properties we still remember fondly today. But while things started off scary, they eventually became self-aware and even a little comedic by the later part of the decade. Characters like Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees became fun pop culture icons as opposed to objects of terror, and at this point, horror was fun more than it was scary. This was around the time cinema introduced us to the likes of Chucky the Murderous Doll, starting in 1988 with 'Child's Play'. Chucky's origin story begins as we see serial killer Charles Lee Ray (Brad Douriff) on the run from Officer Mike Norris (Chris Sarandon). He seeks shelter in a toy store, but Norris manages to give him a good bullet wound. In desperation, and through the means of voodoo magic, Charles transfers his soul into a "Good Guy" doll - a fictional toy doll taking on the properties of "My Buddy" and largely inspired by the Cabbage Patch Kid craze of the early 80s. Enter single mother, Karen Barclay (Catherine Hicks) and her son, Andy (Alex Vincent). About to celebrate his sixth birthday, Andy wants a Good Guy doll. But being that they're super hard to come across, his mother has to buy one on the black market. Soon enough, we learn that this is the same doll possessed by Charles Lee Ray. He now goes by "Chucky", under the guise of the doll and is out to get revenge on anyone who has "wronged" him, using Andy to transport him to where he needs to go, as well as a patsy for his crimes. Eventually, however, Chucky learns that he'll soon need a new body, or else his soul will end up trapped inside the doll forever. The body in question, however, just so happens to be Andy - and thus, the hero/villain relationship of this particular long-running horror franchise is born. But, as usual, with the first in a horror franchise, the first one has a particular draw to it as being far creepier than most of the others. In the first chapter here, for the most part, Chucky is just a normal, innocent-looking doll. It's here where one can admire more of the subtle horror from this series. Chucky might suddenly vanish, of give subtle movements that hint that he's a living doll. But the creep factor here goes beyond that. As Chucky uses Andy as a patsy, there's that question of the kid's actual mental health, in a scary way. IS your 6-year-old boy really going around causing bad stuff to happen? Or do you listen to him when he tells you, "Chucky did it!" You also can't help but feel how scared Andy must feel throughout all of this, not understanding exactly what's happening, or why the authority figures in his life won't listen to him. Chucky is, indeed, he horror version of Michigan J. Frog. While this is a good example of less being more, Chucky does come to life in full animatronic form as well. Some may argue that the stop-motion effects of everything here do look a little bit cheesy and dated. But I contest that the creep factor of Chucky is brought a little more to life with this old-school stop-motion animation. It makes the idea of a sinister doll coming to life a little more believable than CG ever could because what you're seeing is tangible. And that thought of your doll coming to life to kill really hit home for me, because back in the day, I had a "My Buddy" doll, which, again, was largely what Chucky was based on. So if I saw a TV spot for one of these movies back then, it would be pretty effective. So, truth be told, I actually ended up explaining a bit more of the movie than I may have wanted to. But a lot of that is because this is just the beginning of Chucky, and for the most part, the themes of bodily possession and voodoo magic are a constant throughout the series, and Andy ends up being Roadrunner to Chucky's Coyote (because one Looney Tunes reference was not enough). And, as many horror franchises go, it would eventually start to dwindle in quality over time. That's not to say it's all downhill from here though, as a lot of it ends up suiting the "guilty pleasure" realm of taste quite nicely. Having said that, 1988's 'Child's Play' still actually holds up as something genuinely creepy to me. I just can't help but appreciate how otherworldly Chucky looks in this, and when you do see him suddenly spring into action, it catches you off guard. If someone went into this movie 100% blind, that scene would be pretty terrifying. I might suggest that this is the scariest Chucky ever actually looks (aside from maybe 'Curse'), and there's something about the execution of this that just stands out among anything that follows. It's a great time capsule to check out for horror fans. You get a bit of physical horror, a bit of magic horror, a bit of psychological horror. Not terrifying by today's standards, but it's a pretty sweet mix! 4/5 |