Childâs Play (2019) - Movie Review
Sorry, JackâŚ. Chuckyâs back!
After years of eluding the knife, Chucky has finally gotten a Ho-llywood facelift. Rumors of a Childâs Play remake had been circulating for at least a decade. After many erroneous reports, a âstraightforward horrorâ version was in the works around 2008. However, after the negative reception of then-recent slasher remakes, the film was left on the assembly line. And with the remake shelved, the original series continued with Curse of Chucky. On July 3 of 2018, a reboot was announced, eXXXisting without connection to the Mancini canon.
And lo, there rose a new Chucky! Unlike the one weâve grown to know and fear, 2019âs Chucky is not a product of voodoo; he is instead a faulty automaton. Now, when we review a film, we tend to give a brief synopsis of the film. Ho-wever, the basic plot (boy receives sinister plaything from mother) is more-or-less intact; itâs the central monster that is fundamentally different. The ho-rror of the situation is not that the doll is alive; the ho-rror is of technology run amok.
Many fright-seekers may find this change disconcerting, and it does indeed change the nature of the threat. With that said, it does make sense on a thematic level. Killer Dolls were old hat by 1988, so the original Childâs Play injected new blood into the concept by drawing inspiration from the cutesy baby dolls that dominated toy stores. Chucky was, by design, a Cabbage Patch Killer; a grotesque caricature of My Buddy and other mass-produced dollies. Because of that, Childâs Play has been read as a mordant commentary on Reagan-era consumerism.
With My Buddy-style dolls having gone the way of the Pet Rock, 2019âs Childâs Play targets this eraâs most ubiquitous source of amusement: âsmartâ technology. The original elicits scares from the idea that a supposedly inanimate object moves on its own and acts with supernatural malignance; the reboot endeavors to chill the audience with a scenario in which the devices we rely on go to ghastly extremes to fulfill their purpose. Though voodoo and tech are hardly the same, the idea of using a popular entertainment item to attack consumerism has been brought into the Apple Age.
If you can overlook the lack of black magic or the changes to the concept, Childâs Play is actually one of the best remakes of the last decade. Despite being very much a 2019 picture, the film often plays out like a macabre parody of 1980s family films, specifically ET. In fact, I would call this film âadorableâ⌠until the blood spills, that is. Bear McCrearyâs old-fashioned score is just aces; it somehow evokes both carnival sounds and The Omenâs ominous orchestration. At times, this film even has the look of a giallo film, which is a huge plus in our book!
Mark Hamill as Chucky; The Joker himself lending his mellifluous menace to another iconic creep. Ho-w could one resist? We donât think it will shock anyone when we state that Hamill is simply sensational in the part; what is more surprising is just how affable his Chucky is. With the Clown Prince of Crime voicing another infamous, quip-spouting, laughing looney, we were sure he would be another theatrical sadist. Instead, the Chucky of this film is a pitiable creature, not unlike the tragic monsters of the past. For a good chunk of the film, you actually get to see Chucky be⌠genuinely cute. And as an ostensibly cuddly Chucky, Hamill is perfectly likable; despite what we know about Chucky, we are strangely endeared to him. While we still prefer Dourifâs take, both versions are brilliant in their own way. If Lee and Lugosi can coexist, why not Dourif and Hamill?
For you lovably bloodthirsty freaks out there, you may be disappointed by the general lack of gore on display here. Ho-wever, the few splatter set-pieces are marvellously overboard and terrifically tasteless. We wouldnât want to spoil the surprises, but the first major Chucky murder results in some totally awesome aftermath. Even with the relative lack of blood, thereâs still plenty of delectable ghoulishness.
Childâs Play (2019) is totally boss. I mean, ho-w can you hate a film in which Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 inspires Chucky to go psycho? Itâs not the Childâs Play you grew up with, but itâs a worthy addition to Chuckyâs legacy. And, if you ask us, any film with Aubrey Plaza is worth your time.
Chucky isnât the Good Guy you knew⌠but heâs still your Buddi.
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