'Child's Play' Review: A Horror Movie That Works Best As An Action Flick

From Freddy Krueger to Ghostface, the slasher genre is full of terrifying and iconic villains constantly waiting to trick us with their weapon of choice. And if you were a kid in the late '80s and early '90s, you couldn't have found a more terrifying or iconic character than Chucky ( Brad Dourif ). For years, the killer doll from Tom Holland's Child's Play terrorized children around the world, even if they had only heard about him from his older siblings and TV shows. With his red hair, handsome face and expressionless costume, Chucky is a horror film that continues to spawn sequels and reboots 35 years after his screen debut. The third season of Chucky is in full swing and getting rave reviews, just like the first two seasons.

In 2023, the year of Watching Child's Play , it's not hard to see how and why Chucky has become a household name among horror fans. With its cute and charismatic Satan, its gorgeous puppets and its wild protagonist, Holland's original film is the kind of character that, despite no sequel planned, makes for a great first film in a major franchise. Likewise, it's not hard to see how much the franchise leans towards comedy, with many recent films like Bride of Chucky and Descendants of Chucky described as horror comedies. Child's Play isn't really a horror movie, despite what those old TV commercials might make you think. But it's a very entertaining film with great action sequences, creative deaths, and, perhaps most importantly, a child star who sells it all with little effort.

There were parts of Child's Play that didn't work so well.

Like many other skateboarding icons of his era, Chucky was a killer behind a mask, but not in the most obvious way. In the Child's Play storyline, he is actually Charles Lee Ray, also known as the Lake Strangler, a hitman who possesses the body of the fictional Good Guy doll after he is killed during a police chase. When a doll hidden in a toy store is killed by Detective Mike Norris ( Chris Sarandon ), Ray performs a voodoo ritual that allows him to transfer his soul into a talking doll, which is then given to 6-year-old Andy Barclay. ( Alessio) . Vincent ). His mother, Karen ( Katherine Hicks ). After vowing on his deathbed to avenge Norris and his fighting partner Eddie Caputo ( Neil Giuntoli ), Ray, now disguised as Chucky, makes life hell for the Barkley family.

It's a powerful summary that, aside from the voodoo elements, stands out as the only part of the film that accurately captures the time. Of course, Holland and his colleagues Don Mancini and John Lafya did their best to make it clear that Ray was distorting religious principles to gain eternal life. But it's still uncomfortable to see Chuckie belting out voodoo chants and summoning storms to devastate the world. There's a very "dark arts" feel to the way the ritual scenes are shot, and in a world where African-American religions are often misrepresented on screen, it leaves a bad taste in the viewer's mouth. the spectator. This movie would have been better if it had left a mystery about Chucky's mental issues or used a basic satanic explanation.

"Child's Play" remains a classic horror film, bloody and funny.

Although a questionable element, the thoughtless use of voodoo is not essential to the plot to the point of making it a bad children's film. belongs to the Netherlands This 1988 classic is a fun and entertaining thriller that captivates audiences, slowly dragging them to the edge of their seats. The film doesn't contain many scares, while it's not hard to see how young viewers might be affected by a high-end deadly toy, it does contain a good amount of thrilling action. His camera work is excellent, especially when showing the world through Chucky's eyes. The same goes for the choreography of scenes like the car puppet fight with Detective Norris, which is one of the highlights of the film.

Surprisingly, despite being the man drowning in the lake, Chucky doesn't drown many people. In fact, he took this approach only once and failed miserably. Far from being a problem, this disregard for Charles Lee Ray's original modus operandi turns out to be a blessing, as the film gives us a death scene that is both macabre and fun to watch. Gory but a little cartoony, the violence in Child's Play is never a joke, and considering the film was rated R when it was first released, it seems a little strange from today's perspective.

Brad Dourif and Alex Vincent Sheen as Chucky and the young victim

The puppets in this film directed by Brook Winkles also deserve praise . Although children and young actors play evil puppets in the wide shots, most of the work moving Chucky's face and limbs is done by radio-controlled animatronics with a team of 9 puppets. The final result is unmistakable, the doll really seems alive. Brad Dourif's voice acting puts the icing on the cake, giving us a Chucky who is both obnoxious and hilarious. The moment when they curse the old woman they call the ugly doll is one of the easiest mistakes in the history of horror cinema.

Dourif is one of the most prominent adult actors in Child's Play . But to be honest, he was also given the most interesting material to work with. Both Sarandon and Hicks had good performances, but they were nothing spectacular. Their investigation into Chucky's origins is the smallest part of the film, and given the ending, it's a shame that it takes up so much space. We could have spent all this time watching Chuckie kill a bunch of people, for God's sake! But jokes aside, it seems like a waste of potential. Sarandon, who co-starred with Holland in 1985's Fright Night, gives a remarkably calm performance despite the aforementioned car crash with Chucky. While in Fright Night it stuns, torments and disgusts in equal measure, in the children's game it simply exists. But that's not his fault: the characters aren't particularly interesting.

The real human star of Child's Play is Alex Vincent Andy, although he spends most of his time locked up in a psychiatric ward because the adults don't believe him about living dolls. It's no secret that good child actors are hard to find, and Holland nailed it with Vincent. Not only does she sell innocence and courage, but she's also an incredible action heroine to watch out for in her final fight with Chucky, where Rey's spirit tries to take over her body. Vincent exudes confidence and control as he walks onto the set and quickly transitions from one mood to another. When he once sets his best friend on fire, his expression "This is the end, my friend" sounds like John McClane's ( Bruce Willis ) catchphrase "Yipee-ki-yay, son of a bitch!" This is on par with existing classic action lines. Or the Terminator ( Arnold Schwarzenegger ) “Hasta la vista, darling!”

And basically , children's games work like this: like action films. But that doesn't mean this movie isn't considered a horror movie. After all, this film is full of horror elements, from the destruction of houses to supernatural intervention. However, children's games are not as effective at instilling fear or calm. What it does is make us enjoy death with chase scenes, well-choreographed physical fights, and spectacular deaths, even explosions.

Grade: B+

The children's game is available above.

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Game for children: download the original Chucky movie