Chucky was and still is everyone’s favorite killer doll. The original Child’s Play came out in 1988 and was an instant success, mainly due to Chucky himself. Evil doll films had been made before, but this was the first one to really give one a personality.
After six sequels, a remake was announced but from MGM and Orion, who still owned the rights to the original film. With Chucky being such an iconic character in the genre, showing a new version had fans skeptical. Thankfully, the new Child’s Play remake isn’t the dumpster fire that everyone thought. That being said, it’s not perfect either.
10 UNECESSARY: It Just Didn’t Need To Be Made
Unlike the other franchises that had died off like Friday The 13th or Texas Chainsaw Massacre, the Chucky series is still going strong, despite the last two entries not getting a theatrical release. Also, Chucky kept his continuity consistent, which is something that can’t be said about most horror characters.
Since MGM and Orion still retained the rights, they decided to make their own remake despite the fact that the original Child's Play is not only still ongoing but set to get a TV show (teaser pictured above) as well. It’s quite a shame, since original writer Don Mancini (and the rest of the original cast) didn’t approve of this cashgrab. This isn’t to say the remake's cast and crew didn’t put their hearts in their work. It's just that the behind-the-scenes studio politics put a stain on their Child's Play.
9 DID IT WELL: Mark Hamill Is A Worthy Chucky
Interest in the remake started to soar once it was announced that legendary voice actor Mark Hamill would be voicing Chucky. Hamill could’ve easily just mimicked his Joker voice from Batman: The Animated Series, but he didn’t and chose to give it his all.
Hamill does an excellent job of portraying a naïve but dangerous AI doll that doesn’t know right from wrong. When Chucky needs to get creepy, Hamill gets it just right. This is especially true with the Buddi Song, which is supposed to be when Chucky is still a good guy (pun intended). Brad Dourif may still always be the best but even his biggest fans can’t deny Hamill is still a worthy successor.
8 UNECESSARY: It Feels Like It Was Supposed To Be A Different Film
It’s clear that MGM made this remake to cash in on the Chucky name. When watching the movie, fans get the sense that this was supposed to be a whole different movie that MGM had just rewritten to include a Chucky doll.
The film is a tongue-in-cheek slasher that focuses on an AI gone wrong. It could’ve easily been an episode of Black Mirror that shows the dangers of the home products that Kaslan (the film's answer to Amazon and Apple) made. Once again, the cast and crew did something decent with this idea but it just doesn’t feel like it should've been a Child’s Play movie, to begin with. Perhaps MGM thought that it would be a gamble on a new original film.
7 DID IT WELL: The Score
Perhaps the one thing that this remake does better than any other Chucky film is the score by Bear McCreary. McCreary is a very talented composer who was behind some great TV themes such as The Walking Dead and Black Sails.
The original Child’s Play films always had a childlike theme, a concept that McCreary took and perfected. There’s a very stark sinister tone felt in his score. He even goes one step forward by performing the eerie “la la la” voices in the background. It's definitely worth checking out on YouTube. Additionally, McCreary scored Godzilla: King of the Monsters, released in the same year as Child's Play.
6 UNECESSARY: The Way Chucky Becomes Evil
Chucky’s origin is laughably simple in this remake. The original Chucky is a doll possessed by the serial killer Charles Lee Ray, who used voodoo to get inside the doll. It’s silly and very '80s, yes, but there’s at least some build up to it and motivation.
In this remake, a disgruntled factory worker somehow has access to the Buddi doll safety measures and is able to just turn them off in seconds. This Kaslan factory does seem like it treats all their employees like crap, yet they still give them full responsibility of turning on and off the most important feature that would avoid lawsuits. Why is that even an option in the first place?
5 DID IT WELL: The Humor
For the most part, this is a very entertaining remake thanks to the humor. Child's Play is a movie about a killer doll, after all. Thankfully, the movie does still take itself somewhat seriously but is confident in its writing to deliver some good chuckles here and there.
Hamill’s Chucky may not have the same sadistic sense of humor that Dourif had, but his innocent take allows him to say some pretty great one-liners. His actions also speak humor with the way he disposes of some awful people, especially Karen’s boyfriend. For a fun time with a horror film, Child’s Play is perfectly acceptable.
4 UNECESSARY: The Supporting Kids Are Awful
It’s clear that this remake wanted to go for a Stranger Things vibe with Andy’s friends Falyn, and Pugg. The problem is, they don’t really have any of the Hawkins kids' chemistry.
One of the most frustrating aspects is how they treat Andy in the film’s second half. After they dispose of a killer doll who literally cut off a man’s face and put it on a watermelon, the kids somehow aren’t convinced that Chucky could still be alive. It’s like they brush it off and aren’t traumatized in the slightest of what they just had to do, reverting to making quips instead of taking matters seriously.
3 DID IT WELL: The Kills
One thing this version of Chucky has is his ability to control any Kaslan device around him. Why they would allow a children’s toy to do that is anyone’s guess, though. That being said, the Child's Play remake takes full advantage of this with some bloody and over-the-top kills.
There are even some characters who are just awful people such as the apartment pervert living in the basement who put cameras in his neighbor's showers. When people like him are being dismembered by Chucky, it’s sadistically gratifying. This Chucky has a ton of tools in his arsenal, which leads to an outrageous climax.
2 UNECESSARY: Too Much Mediocre CGI
For a series built on impressive animatronics over thirty years ago, it’s a little disappointing that this remake has an over-reliance on CGI. Digital effects aren't always a bad thing, up until someone notices the glaring issues or the uncanny valley. There are some decent effects in the remake but the ones that stand out as bad are very noticeable.
Much of this takes place in the climax where Chucky is no longer a stiff walking doll. In fact, he moves as agile and quickly as his cameo in Ready Player One. It just looks way too absurd, especially with all the CGI technology that’s available today.
1 DID IT WELL: Andy’s Friendship With Chucky
This remake deviates from the original Child's Play by showing a genuine friendship between Andy and Chucky. Their relationship is where the charm of the remake comes into play and it explores Chucky’s character as somewhat tragic.
Since this is an entirely new take on Chucky, it’s okay that you sometimes fully sympathize with him. He’s an innocent AI who wants nothing more than to please his best friend. He just doesn’t understand that killing everyone Andy isn’t as gracious or loyal as he would think. Gabriel Batemen also deserves some props for portraying Andy, as he gives a nuanced and emotional performance.
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