Child's Play (2019)

The 'Child's Play' franchise has become a bit jumbled with the series now split between two major studios: Universal for the sequels with original creator Don Mancini & MGM who owns the rights to the original 1988 film resulting in this 2019 reboot. While it's hard not to see this as somewhat of a slap to the face of Mancini, I feel this new film stands out enough that I'd happily watch both series proudly. The basics are the same here: Andy Barclay (Gabriel Bateman) and his mother Karen (Aubrey Plaza) are terrorized by a homicidal doll named Chucky (voiced by Mark Hamill). And that's where the similarities end as this time around we don't have and voodoo magic or Charles Lee Ray but instead the 2019 film attempts to discuss modern technology and our obsession with it. The new iteration of the doll is named Buddi who is made by a company called Kaslan which comes off very Amazon.com or Apple with its cold mute colored advertisements and Kaslan having its brand slapped on almost every electronic product in the film. This of course gives Chucky much more to play with than before but the technophobic message will feel like a heavy hit to your noggin by the end.

What I did enjoy about this film more than the original is Andy and Chucky's relationship which starts out innocent and heartwarming (including a montage) before the chaos starts. Even when Chucky starts shedding blood, the doll does feel a bit more sympathetic due to it simply being a malfunctioning robot that doesn't know any better and just wants Andy to be his friend. Of course this does not justify Chucky's murders but the film does have a bit more emotional weight to it thanks to Gabriel Bateman and Mark Hamill's strong performances. Aubrey Plaza does well as Karen though I still prefer the warmer and loving Catherine Hicks version of the character rather than the sarcastic and somewhat bitter Plaza take. Brian Tee's Mike Norris gets some more development to him too and he gets some funny dialogue throughout but I have a gut feeling that a lot of his part was left on the cutting room floor. Hopefully we get some extended sequences once the Blu-Ray drops. The cast of kids that make up Andy's friends are just okay, though very cliche and really don't pop in until half the film is over. It's very much the stereotypes you'd expect from the producers of 'IT' and ultimately I felt they didn't do enough here for me to be invested.

I was honestly shocked by how much gore is in 'Child's Play' 2019 and quite brutal gore to boot. Those poor folks whom Chucky deems a threat to his and Andy's friendship meet quite gruesome ends for a series that for the most part is considered a fairly mild horror series. Gorehounds will likely be pleased here. As you all know, it's no secret that this new design for Chucky is pretty damn ugly and yeah..this doesn't really change in the final film. It's hard to get used to the look mostly due to it being so inconsistent. The picture you see above looks good where other times, the film's low budget clearly shows and there are some downright cringy CGI moments where Chucky has to jump or quick attack people. I don't know if it's just a bad special effects department or they had to really stray away from the classic look we all love, but he's still pretty damn cheap and fug at the end of the day.

Bear McCreary's score is actually pretty excellent and has a lot more effort put into it than a film like this would usually have. Bear has become a new favorite of mine as he always finds interesting ways to make each movie he works on sound unique. 'Child's Play' is full of toys and child's instruments such as xylophones or little pianos that fit perfectly. My favorite piece is the 'Buddi' theme song with Mark Hamill singing. It's so cheesy but I just can't get it out of my head and hum it at work all day. I recommend picking up the album and listening for yourself. The film is also shot very well, with some good colors and lighting throughout while the sets tend to be a little bland in comparison aside from the finale in a department store. Overall, for a low budget horror film, this looks pretty high quality.

'Child's Play' isn't breaking any new ground and its allegories are pretty tired and hamfisted but it's still quite entertaining. Gabriel Bateman and Mark Hamill's performances keep you invested and the gore and humor give the film some wicked bite. It's recommended but I wouldn't expect anything more than a harmless popcorn flick. I think you'll have fun with your new best Buddi.

B-