While yet another classic horror remake is now par for the course, the news of a 2019 Child’s Play remake actually took us by surprise. Child’s Play, released in 1988, has spawned six sequels over the years, with the most recent, Cult of Chucky, released just two years ago. In addition, Don Mancini, original writer for the films as well as director for the last three, is taking Chucky to the small screen with a television adaptation for Syfy. So, with MGM’s decision to reboot the healthy, ongoing franchise, it was very important for this new take on Chucky to stand out and be memorable, and they achieved just that.
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In lieu of supernatural voodoo, Child’s Play 2019 takes the A.I. approach, with Chucky being a state of the art Buddi doll that links in to a system of smart products manufactured by the same tech company, Kaslan. When a woman returns a defective doll to the department store Karen Barclay (Aubrey Plaza) works at, she takes it home for her 13-year-old son Andy (Gabriel Bateman). The doll quickly “imprints” on Andy and gets visibly affected by things that upset the young teen, and he soon realizes Chucky isn’t like the other Buddi dolls.
From early teasers, it was clear that this Chucky was different than the original, almost cartoon-like in appearance. When Horror Geek Life spoke with Todd Masters of MastersFX, the company responsible for the doll’s reimagining, he told us “there’s a reason, a real story reason, that he looks different” and that “people will understand that when they see it.” While watching the film, those words echoed in my head because, yes, this design absolutely makes sense for this film. It adds a lot of playful, cartoonish fun, and it works well within the story. It also gives the killer doll more emotional range, to the point where I wanted to give the little bugger a big hug at times. To complete the new Chucky is the voice of Mark Hamill, who is a very talented and accomplished voice over actor. He had a perfect approach to the character, elevating the film quite a bit. The doll easily transitions from sweet and caring to creepy and obsessive without skipping a beat.
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Of course, a good Chuck doll needs his Andy, now played by Gabriel Bateman, a young actor who was introduced to horror fans in 2014’s Annabelle and 2016’s Lights Out. Bateman gave yet another stellar performance, while Parks and Recreation vet Aubrey Plaza is, well, Aubrey Plaza. If you are a fan of her edgy, sardonic style then you will have no issues enjoying her as Karen.
Completing the film are gruesomely creative kills that offer plenty of fun and bloodshed. This is something that we have come to expect from the series, as Chucky is a character who always has fun with murder and mayhem. The doll’s motivations may be completely different this time around, but doesn’t make the kills any less wild and elaborate.
While I went into the theater expecting a more straightforward Child’s Play film, the emotions and whimsy took me by surprise. The film is entertaining and solid enough to stand on its own, and will hopefully be a way to introduce the franchise to a new generation just in time for the Syfy series.
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