Child’s Play is a reboot of the 1988 horror film of the same name that reimagines Chucky, this time voiced by Mark Hamill, as part of a line of Alexa-like dolls called Buddi. After a disgruntled employee of Kaslan Corporation removes all the safety features from Chucky’s system before prepping him for a delivery, Chucky winds up in the hands of Karen Barclay, played by Aubrey Plaza, and her son Andy, played by Gabriel Bateman. Chucky and Andy soon form a friendship, though when Chucky sees Andy upset, his violent tendencies soon emerge, sending him on a killing spree all in the name of protecting his owner.
While the change in character background results in Chucky losing his well-known sarcastic sense of humor that original voice-actor Brad Dourif helped to make the character so iconic, this iteration of Chucky still has plenty of humor left in him, even if not as much of the soul (no pun intended, for those who have seen the original). Chucky’s sense of humor is made up more of deadpan repetition of what he hears other characters say, which makes for some very funny moments throughout this film. It’s like hearing a child learning to speak for the first time, only to pick up on the wrong things it hears its parents say.
That’s one element that’s a big positive in this reboot of Child’s Play - this is a very funny movie. It doesn’t go into the campy, over-the-top Freddy Kreuger-esque one-liners that filled later sequels such as Bride of Chucky and Seed of Chucky, but it does have plenty of moments that get some big laughs. Mark Hamill’s delivery is top-notch here, and provides a lot of really solid moments of dark humor. Despite playing an antagonist and having a voice-acting career built off playing sinister villains, he goes with a more straight-faced delivery that still gives Chucky the deceiving feel that he’s an innocent character, despite the destruction he ultimately does cause.
This take on Chucky, while different, is actually a commendable direction. While he’s without a soul this time around - literally - the film still manages to find a way to make him a layered villain. He’s still given a purpose, doing what he does in the name of protecting his owner, who he considers his friend, despite the fact that Andy doesn’t want Chucky to do anything that he’s normally doing. And because he’s a doll without a soul or ability to reason, he can’t comprehend when he’s being told not to react violently to a situation.
Hamill’s voice acting allows for an odd sense of understanding towards Chucky sometimes, despite the fact that the audience isn’t meant to condone what he does. It still finds a way to make Chucky a compelling villain, and not just a one-dimensional killing machine that’s wiping people out for no reason, a la Michael Myers. An intriguing antagonist is something that can be difficult to come by, so this movie does an exceptionally good job at not making the character feel totally heartless.
It also allows for a bit of satire that should have been explored a bit more in-depth, the idea being that people are so over-reliant on technology that they need to stop treating it like it’s their best friend. The film touches on the notion at multiple points throughout the film, and the only complaint is that while the idea is there, it feels somewhat vague and there could have been a much more concrete statement made about the whole concept. This could have allowed the film to make much more use of Tim Matheson as the CEO of Kaslan, who’s mostly reduced to a glorified cameo, interspersed throughout the film.
That all being said, while Chucky himself - outside of his new design - is well-done, the way in which this movie sets him up at times can be pretty contrived. The storytelling aspect of this film is easily one of its weakest points. This is due to the fact that it essentially just forces characters into easy situations that allow Chucky to continue wreaking havoc. There are multiple times where a character would have logically put an end to things, or they act in a way that any rational human being would act. Yet they don’t. Characters simply act the way they do at times because the script calls for it and so it can give an excuse for Chucky to keep going, rather than it being a rational decision any other human being would make.
This can be frustrating at times, though if it’s any consolation, when Chucky is allowed to do his thing, it’s a lot of fun to watch. This movie rivals the likes of franchises such as Final Destination and Saw the way in which Chucky takes out many of his victims. It’s the sort of movie that doesn’t take itself too seriously, knowing that the idea of a killer doll is going to come off as ridiculous, and it runs with it and knows how to have fun with it. Fans of the horror and slasher genres are going to have a blast with this one. Many of these Chucky-centric scenes are absolutely creative, and are so over-the-top, it’s difficult to let the film’s faults sour these moments. This includes an absolutely bonkers third act that is so campy and ridiculous, one will find themselves having a difficult time resisting the urge to smile.
The film also makes great use of its talented lead cast, who give this film much of its charm and great energy. Gabriel Bateman does a fantastic job as Andy, and unlike most of other child actors in horror movies, manages to come off as very believable and relatable, never towing the line of whiny and annoying. Even in scenes where he’s portrayed as being lonely and by himself, the audience never feels manipulated or guilted into liking him, and he’s given a strong personality. This allows for his interactions with the rest of the cast to be highly emotional and moments that allow those who watch the film to easily connect with him.
Aubrey Plaza also does a solid job as Karen Barclay. Sometimes, mainly in scenes in which she’s seen by herself, it’s somewhat difficult to believe her as a mom, mainly because she’s firing off the same sarcastic, somewhat immature quips that made her famous over the years. Though the scenes she shares with Gabriel Bateman are done well, and when she gets into her groove, it is easy to believe the two as a mother and son. Brian Tyree Henry is also a big scene-stealer as the detective who constantly visits his mother, who’s also the Barclay’s neighbor. In addition to Hamill, much of the comedic relief comes from his constant quips and one-liners that manage to ease the tension in certain moments.
The only complaint in terms of both Henry’s and Plaza’s characters are the fact that, while they do have some character development that’s touched upon, they aren’t nearly as developed as Andy. In fact, Andy is probably the only really fleshed out character in this entire movie, alongside Chucky himself. While everyone else has their moments here and there, sometimes they feel like stock characters. This goes hand in hand with the aforementioned idea that characters act in certain ways just to set Chucky up. Characters at times will embody certain generic character tropes just to move the script along, and while it does lead to some fun kill scenes with Chucky, it would have been nice had the screenplay reached that point more organically.
Child’s Play is far from a perfect film. It has some issues in terms of both screenplay and character development at times, outside of its two lead characters. However, it’s also a film that knows exactly what it is and manages to have a lot of fun with it, making its faults somewhat forgivable. The film is a horror fans’ delight, with some really creative set pieces to allow Chucky to do what he does best, which also allows for plenty of great moments of dark humor. The film also boasts an excellent cast, with Hamill, Bateman, Plaza, and Henry all turning in some great performances that add to the fun. Despite the heavy scrutiny surrounding it, this is a worthwhile remake.
Recommendation: Watch It
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