By Frank Pittarese
Child’s Play (1988) Serial killer Charles Lee Ray (a.k.a. the Lakeshore Strangler) is shot in a toy store by a detective — but before dying, he transfers his soul into a Good Guys doll using a voodoo spell. The doll makes its way to the home of little Andy Barclay and within 15 minutes, Chucky begins a spree of murder and terror. And of course, nobody believes Andy when he blames his doll. This is the best of the series. The cast is great. The endearing Catherine Hicks plays Andy’s frantic mom, Chris Sarandon is a disbelieving detective (until he learns otherwise), and Alex Vincent plays six-year-old Andy. As far as child actors go, Vincent isn’t show-bizzy at all. Some of his line deliveries are rough, but he feels like a real kid (and sort of a dumb one at that). It becomes very easy to worry about the squirt as danger unfolds.
This movie was made long before CGI was a thing, and a team of nine puppeteers, child actors, and little people bring Chucky to glorious life. Brad Dourif provides Chucky’s voice (and still does) but here’s a bit of trivia: Chucky was originally voiced by Jessica Walter(!), who was replaced after the movie bombed in a test screening (30 minutes of footage was also cut). This series has its ups and downs (more of the latter, I guess), and it perpetually goes off the rails as the series becomes more “comedic,” but Chucky is such a little asshole that I can’t help but love him, so I’m a fan. Grade: A-
Child’s Play 2 (1990) In the aftermath of the first movie, Andy’s mom is under psychiatric observation (we never see her again) and Andy is in foster care. Meanwhile, the Play Pals Corporation rebuilds Chucky, and he promptly runs amok, going on a murder spree as he tries to get hold of Andy. This is a decent sequel, but they’re already slipping into repetition. Expect another round of “Chucky did it!” as Andy gets blamed (again) for Chucky’s crimes. Christine Elise (Emily Valentine on Beverly Hills 90210) adds some flavor as Kyle, a teenage foster kid and ally to Andy, but it’s mostly a by-the-numbers slasher movie. The real highlight here is the showdown in a toy factory, as Andy and Kyle not only try to survive Chucky, but avoid the deadly doll-making machinery. It’s a strong set piece/climax that really saves an average movie. Grade: B
Child’s Play 3 (1991) Eight years after the last movie, the Play Pals Corporation is back in business — and thanks to blood dripping into a vat of plastic, Chucky is reborn. Meanwhile, 16-year-old Andy Barclay has been shipped off to a military academy after flunking out of foster care. Once again, Chucky pursues Andy, desperate for a human body. But there’s a new kid on the scene, played by THE MOST ANNOYING CHILD ACTOR EVER, and Chucky decides he wants an upgrade.
Three movies in and this franchise is on shaky ground. This is the third time we’re seeing the same basic story — and while that worked for almost a dozen Friday the 13th and a whole bunch of Elm Streets, this premise doesn’t have as much…range? By tying Chucky so tightly to Andy, the story has nowhere to go. So again, Chucky commits acts of mayhem and ruins Andy’s life. Again, Chucky chants his little body-swapping spell. And it’s all a drag this time because the setting is so awful. Asshole characters abound (including a ridiculously cartoonish barber played by Hellraiser’s Andrew Robinson), and the sympathetic ones are dull at best, but really sort of annoying. It’s not unwatchable, it’s just mediocre. Except for THE MOST ANNOYING CHILD ACTOR EVER. He is unwatchable. The franchise needs a hard kick in the ass, and for better or worse, that kick is coming… Grade: C+
Stay tuned for Part 2 of the Child’s Play reviews!