Chucky may be wi-fi enabled in the new Child’s Play, but it’s hardly an upgrade
Film Reviews Movie Review
Kids these days, with their newfangled wi-fi enabled homicidal dolls. Back when we were whippersnappers attending the 1988 stab-a-thon Child’s Play, we got a low-tech Chucky and we liked it! It didn’t matter if we had to walk two miles uphill both ways to the cineplex, it was worth it just to see a serial murderer using voodoo magic to implant his vengeful consciousness into the vessel of a child’s plaything. It was an honest, simpler time, when a crazed two-foot-tall killing machine had to rely on his cunning and his trusty butcher knife to get the job done. None of this hoity-toity pairing with compatible devices in the home and workplace! When purists talk about digital cinema lacking the soul of its analog predecessors, it’s usually not this literal.
Abe Simpson voice aside, Lars Klevberg’s new Child’s Play remake does lose something by choosing to attribute Chucky’s demon seed to a disgruntled Vietnamese sweatshop worker disabling a microchip’s protocols. Screenwriter Tyler Burton Smith likely used the word “update” in his pitch meeting, the general idea being that a new era requires a souped-up villain with the voice of Mark Hamill, his nasal cackle still echoing in millennial brains reared on Batman: The Animated Series. But in imbuing the character with vaguely defined, near-limitless superpowers —the X-Men would label him a “technopath,” though he often acts like an ill-tempered Furby—the film turns its poster boy into a more imprecise threat. The original Child’s Play married violence with impish mischief and elaborate Rube Goldberg machines of gore, each kill up close and personal. The remake’s effort to replicate such a scene makes nouveau-Chucky’s killing blow the raising of a central AC unit’s thermostat, a move as inert and un-cinematic as his ability to make TVs obey his commands.
Whatever power to frighten the character has retained feels only semi-deliberate; the skin-distending animatronics moving Chucky’s face are creepy, but in an uncanny valley sort of way. Beleaguered single mom Karen (Aubrey Plaza) brings the toy home from the reject bin at the big-box store where she works, in the hopes that her lonely son Andy (Gabriel Bateman) might appreciate a new friend during a difficult adjustment period. They’ve just moved to town, and Mom’s got a jerk boyfriend gradually working his way from verbal to physical abuse. So Andy does find some comfort in having someone who exists solely to be best pals forever.
The most disturbing passages of the film show how affection can be used as a cudgel, and how love can curdle first into possession and then into an intimate form of bullying. Chucky wants more attention and devotion from Andy than any one person could possibly give another, and when those demands aren’t met, anyone perceived as a challenge to their BFF status has to die. Chucky’s jealousy and coercive sweetness mirrors the behavior profile of a toxic boyfriend, and it’s all the more chilling that this relationship dynamic has been projected with a slight psychosexual tinge onto a boy and his plastic li’l buddy.
That alone would be a sound basis for a horror movie, but Smith’s script serves an evident need to do or be more in order to fill out the film’s 90 already-inflated minutes. (In one sequence, Andy makes a couple of thinly sketched pals, and the three of them get distracted with an extended detour to retrieve a gift-wrapped severed head from a neighbor’s apartment down the hall.) Playing a cop clumsily grafted onto a story that doesn’t quite need him, Brian Tyree Henry makes the second-rate writing sound like great theatre, yet he’s still an awkward presence in the film. There’s a hum in the background about the impending rollout of new models in the “Buddi” line that produced Andy’s evil playmate, cuing up a chaotic finale involving demonically corrupted teddy bears. But what self-respecting Chucky movie shies away from its integral Chucky-ness? At least the original franchise waited a few installments before bringing in Jennifer Tilly to spice things up.
It all speaks to a lack of faith in the character as Brad Dourif first established him thirty-plus years ago. Dourif’s Chucky had attitude, a personality, and hot pumping blood, all of which have made him an enduring (and ongoing) presence at multiplexes for the better part of three decades. Klevberg and Smith reduce Chucky to a malevolent automaton, his dialogue limited to parroting back someone else’s catchphrases. There’s a metaphor in there somewhere, about a film rewording a past success and outputting only a garbled repetition. As an enchanted talisman housing a depraved mind, Chucky was born one-of-a-kind. As nothing more than a glitching machine, he lacks the sniggling spirit that made him special. He’s been mass-produced.
84 Comments
I am Chucky and I am …BufferingBufferingBufferingGoing to …Buffering BufferingConnection lost, please reset router.ConnectingConnectingKill you.
“I’ll rip out your throat! We have updated our privacy policy!”
Ugh, the “Would you like to receive murder attempts from your Best Buddi doll?” box was checked by default
You’re thinking of the RealPlayerGirl, the short lived sex doll with a malfunctioning Ethernet cable. Not as bad as Chucky, but a lot of pervs burned their dicks.
Fun fact: my 10-month old son is also 2 feet tall. He hasn’t murdered anyone (that we know of). But I know I could take him if he tried.
This wasn’t what they meant when they developed “cutting-edge” AI!—Tagline someone probably pitched in a meeting right before yawning.
The Chopping Mall … “Where shopping costs you an arm and a leg!”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chopping_Mall They ran the TV ad ceaselessly, causing 9-year-old me endless nightmares while spurring my burgeoning appreciation for wordplay. I mean, I still think of it even now whenever I hear a horror-related pun.
Burgeoning gay teen me had such the crush on John Terlesky.
I see “Chuky” several times…..is this a repeated typo, or is that his new modern-age acronym robot name?
Chuky ~ “I am going to cut you’re heart out.”That Guy ~ “’Your’.”[Chuky bursts in to flame[war], is banned from life]
Gives me an idea for a movie about a killer Chachi.Joanie Loves Chachi…but Chachi loves MURDER!
Scott Baio is probably available. Probably.
Sunday, Monday, Murder Days,
Tuesday, Wednesday, Murder Days,
Thursday, Friday, Murder Days,
The weekend comes, my chainsaw hums
Ready to slice to youThese days are ours
Happy and free. (Oh Happy Days)
These days are ours
Share them with me.(Oh baby)Goodbye grey sky, hello red,
there’s nothing can hold me when I hold you.
feels so right you can’t be wrong,
sockin’ and killin’ all week long.Saturday, what a day
Slaying all week with you
Well done!
Behold the terrifying slasher villain Cucky, first seen hiding behind the curtains as Jennifer Tilly has sex with the Leprechaun.
Go on…
His name is actually “Chunky” to better fit current American demographics.
“…by choosing to attribute Chucky’s demon seed to a disgruntled Vietnamese sweatshop worker disabling a microchip’s protocols.”Wow, they really did go with the “someone set this thing to ‘evil’” option.
Why do we even HAVE that button?
Spice of life?
I mean you got to have it, nobodies created an alternative for the good/evil logic gate and they only work if they’re attached to a switch. It’s simple physics.
It’s pretty fucking rad that the villain at the heart of this movie is actually a sweat shop worker.
If you think about it, though, isn’t the real villain capitalism?
Are you talking about this, or a Dinesh D’Souza doc?
“This movie is another 80s reboot.”“That’s bad.”“It also contains Aubrey Plaza.”“That’s good.”“She’s playing the single mom to a 10-year old boy.”“That’s bad.”“It will reflect very 2019 fears about smart devices and lonliness.”“That’s good.”“Its ending is stolen from a nearly 30-year old episode of The Simpsons.”“Can I go now?”
Does the reboot contain potassium benzoate?
I came here to say potassium benzoate… Take your star… You ruiner! (My sister likes you)
Is it the monorail episode?
No.
Oh…
“We make chilling tales of horrific suspense. We also make shameless nostalgia cash-ins, which we call ‘reboots’!”
Every time I set this thing to ‘evil’, bad things happen! Why don’t I ever learn?!
My GOD, David!
Ooh, it’s the monkey’s audition tape.
ROCK AND ROLL MARTIAN!
Bonjour! I am a French doll! Ho ho ho.
Every ticket comes with a free frogurt!The frogurt is also evil.
A part of me had hoped I’d be able to be the first to make a joke relating to that, but deep down I knew…. I knew it was unpossible.
Based upon current law, all entertainment from 2019 onwards must be based upon plot elements from The Simpsons. HBO had to get a special exception to deviate the plot for Chernobyl from the plot of “Last Exit to Springfield.”
I told him, Flanders has his giant donut!Or Moe.Go kill Moe.[Closes door]He came to life. Good for him.
☺👍🏼
I like the Chucky movies. Don’t know how I feel about this movie cuz the creators of the Chucky movies were not happy with this remake.
I’ve been deeply skeptical of this movie because the whole appeal of the Mancini/Dourif Chucky is that he’s so human. He’s (maybe by a long shot) the *most* human of our recurring horror villains. A haywire AI Chucky is no Chucky at all.
Yeah. He really was just a guy. The only advantage his doll body gave him was that he was beyond suspicion, and it made him semi-immortal, otherwise it was a complete hindrance.
“The only advantage his doll body gave him was that he was beyond suspicion”I am a huge wuss when it comes to killer doll movies, they creep me out well out of proportion to the skill level with which they are made (looking at you Dolly Dearest and your non-union Mexican Chucky menacing a drunken Rip Torn), but the original Child’s Play gets a ton of mileage out of this. Who’s going to believe a god damn doll is murdering everyone? It makes people more susceptible to getting killed and adds this extra level of frustration and exhaustion to the people — the wiener kid and us, the viewers — who know what’s going on and know that not only can no one stop it, no one will even recognize the threat. Damn dolls.
Chucky has the best series arc of any horror villain, because after struggling with trying to reincarnate himself as a person, in Seed of Chucky (otherwise pretty shitty) he finally accepts himself as a killer doll for good. It’s a beautiful thing to see a plastic serial killer reach such an important breakthrough after so many years.
Chucky was always one of the weakest horror franchises, just barely ahead of Leprechaun and Children of the Corn, but weirdly below Puppet Master, even.
Not so fun Child’s Play fact: In 1993 two 10-year-old boys lured away and then murdered two-year-old James Bulger, who was with his mother in a shopping centre in Merseyside, England. I was living in Britain at the time, near Chester, which isn’t far from Merseyside, and the country was in the middle of the ‘video nasty’ scare, sparked by outrage over the slasher films that were prevalent at the time.After the murder, it was found that the father of one of the boys had rented a copy of Child’s Play 3 some months earlier. There was absolutely no evidence that the boy had seen the film – he wasn’t living with his father at the time, and disliked horror films – but many people seized on the coincidence and cited the film as an ‘inspiration’ for the murder, despite investigators saying there was no proof of any connection whatsoever.
I remember that made the national news here in the states. Horrifying. Sometime a few years ago I stumbled on some followup article about how those 2 were released from custody with new identities, then one wound up back in prison for kiddie porn. (aside- I can’t read the term Video Nasties without hearing it with the Brit accent of “Veejoe Nahsties”)
If your Chucky isn’t working, it may be operating on older firmware. Turn it off for 2 seconds. Then turn it on for 8. Turn it off for 2 seconds. Then turn it on for 8. Turn it off for 2 seconds. Then turn it on for 8. Turn it off for 2 seconds. Then turn it on for 8. Turn it off for 2 seconds. Then turn it on for 8. Turn it off for 2 seconds. Then turn it on for 8. Turn it off for 2 seconds. Then turn it on for 8. Turn it off for 2 seconds. Then turn it on for 8. If this doesn’t work, we’ll need to try Firmware Reset version 2.
+1 dipshit lightbulb
Alternatively, beg Chucky for the sweet relief of death.
Review is pretty much exactly what I was expecting, and I’ll likely just stick with those versions that profit Don Mancini, but I was a little thrown by:creepy, but in an uncanny valley sort of waysince the uncanny is one of the two core elements of horror (alongside the abject), so I don’t see any reason to assume that the effect is unintentional (or for it to matter whether it’s intentional or not).
I was wondering about this myself; mainstream horror movies don’t often display a very clear grasp of the uncanny as a source of horror (I’m thinking particularly of the Annabelle movies, and how badly designed that doll is). This new Chucky design looks terrible, but I’m wondering if that was intentional, and maybe works better in the context of the movie.
I assume the author kind of means “uncanny valley” as a stand-in for “digitally produced, rather than practical effects.” I’m also not sure, when we use the phrase “uncanny valley,” that we really mean quite the same kind of uncanny as the kind that you call a core element of horror. I think that phrase has come to signify something else, something less specific.
The review specifies that the effects are practical, but they do look off. Original Chucky was a My Buddy knock-off, a “realistic” doll that was still clearly a doll nonetheless, and he could look normal when he wasn’t being evil. The still at the top of the review is something else, it’s hard to picture that looking like a thing anyone would play with even if it’s not actively trying to murder someone, and that’s where the “uncanny valley” criticism works for me, the face is not real but weirdly fleshy and wrong.
Weirdly fleshy and wrong:
Good lord, not only are they rebooting Chucky but also the Turtle from Master of Disguise? Hollywood truly has run out of ideas.
Kill it! Kill it with fire!
Ah, I see now that the review specifies that the new Chucky is animatronic (and googling, it looks like that’s been a big talking point, shows you how much I’ve been following this movie). Thanks for correcting me.
The original series has it both ways a little bit: Chucky has a normal face that is less terrifying when he wants to hide, but even that version (the mass-produced Good Guy Doll line) is just way too hideous for any kid to want to play with. Maybe that’s intentional though, as the whole thing was meant to be a send-up of Cabbage Patch Kids, I think.
It’s been years, but if I recall correctly, they got some actual comedy out of this, where someone would blame Chucky for some horrific murder/attempt, and they’d cut to an unaltered doll looking like the doe-eyed kid’s toy it was. It’s a classic mistake, but the doll shouldn’t look sinister in its resting state or your protagonist just seems like a weirdo.
I’d say the uses of the word “uncanny” in horror and in regards to the uncanny valley refer to pretty much exactly the same thing: in essence, that which simultaneously looks familiar and unfamiliar.
I don’t know that I think there’s much daylight between uncanny in the two contexts. The uncanny valley is literally the point where something goes from being cute to being horrifying.
I thought “uncanny valley” was slang for ass crack, no?
creepy, but in an uncanny valley sort of way
perfectly describes my feelings on Aubrey Plaza.
Had a feeling this wasn’t going to be very good considering its barely had any promotion (at least for a reboot as well known as the Chucky movies). You could tell they looked at this, saw it was bad and said “This is a lost cause. Let’s do the bare minimum and wash our hands of this.”
It’s insane to me that this movie has had little to no promotion, considering that Chucky this time around is LUKE FUCKING SKYWALKER
Similar to the Poltergeist remake no one wanted or cares about.
From this review, haven’t seen the movie yet, this premise sounds like it would make for a very engaging techno-horror flick if it weren’t try to be a reboot of Child’s Play. Like, the idea of Chucky as an analogue for a toxic, possessive relationship is interesting, but for a different movie and an original character. Maybe my memory of the original series is foggy, but I don’t recall that ever being a theme. If I’m remembering correctly, Chucky wanted to transfer his soul to Andy, to live again as a human.
The original Child’s Play married violence with impish mischief and elaborate Rube Goldberg machines of gore
This is hardly relevant to the review, but what Rube Goldberg machines were there in the original Child’s Play? Chucky pushed a baby sitter out of a window, caused a gas explosion, killed his voodoo buddy, and…was there more?In sequels 2 and 3 the deaths get more inventive, but they’re still cries away from Rube Goldberg machines. A teacher beaten with a ruler, stragulation via yoyo, swapped ammunition in a paintball match, etc.The real reason why I point this out is because the previews made it seem like *this* version of Child’s Play will have Rube Goldberg machine-esque deaths.
I think you’d need to go to the Final Destination series for your Rube Goldberg deaths. It’s pretty much that series’ raison d’etre
Frankly, I’ve been craving a Final Destination movie recently. I recently rewatched the one with the NASCAR accident, and while those movies are not good, they are fun.
This iteration of Chucky is actually another sequel in the Saw franchise.
Who wants Chucky without the personality? That’s the whole point of him.
“The remake’s effort to replicate such a scene makes nouveau-Chucky’s killing blow the raising of a central AC unit’s thermostat, a move as inert and un-cinematic as his ability to make TVs obey his commands.”If the movie makes any more sense, and/or is any more fun than this I-know-big-words-too sentence, I’m still in!
“At least the original franchise waited a few installments before bringing in Jennifer Tilly to spice things up.”I haven’t seen any of the Chucky movies, but I agree on principal that if you want things spiced up, Jennifer Tilly will do the job.
We now know what happened to Sonic’s discarded creep eyes.
Chucky is 6’3″ 227 pounds
It’s not an “Abe Simpson” voice, you were directly quoting Bill Cosby.
TIMELINE OF WI-FI ENABLED GOOD GUY DOLL ROLL OUT:1. Good Guy doll pitched and approved2. Good Guy doll manufactured and sent out. Given exclusive sale to Amazon customers.
3. One of said Good Guy doll goes on murderous rampage4. Backlash from public against Good Guy product5. Amazon has sale on Good Guy dolls6. Sales of Good Guy doll are higher than at launch
7. Jeff Bezos continues to power himself off the continued failure of the nature of man
Saw this and thought it was a fun time. Laughed out like five times. The first half of the movie was like a B maybe B+. Then just turns pretty familiar horror territory. Loved Mark Hamill’s voice work here. That alone almost saves it.
Been a long time since I walked out of a movie, but here I am waiting probably about 15 – 20 more minutes for my wife and brother-in-law who are still inside. Difficult to articulate exactly why it pressed my buttons except I found it too gory and, even worse, weirdly mean-spirited. Hard to define when a scene where somebody is going to die is suspenseful vs supposed-to-root-for-their-death, but this fell on the wrong side of the fence for me. That there is a scene where kids are watching Chainsaw 2 and laughing hysterically was probably the first sign.
HOT TAKE: Original Child’s Play wasn’t that good, it’s just the nostalgia glasses we created in order to justify being terrified by an ugly doll when we were 7.