Child’s Play (1988)
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Child’s Play Movie Review
Child’s Play is a 1988 supernatural horror film directed by Tom Holland and starring Catherine Hicks and Chris Sarandon. It is a surprisingly strong, highly entertaining genre flick.
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“Hi, I’m Chucky. Wanna play?“
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Karen buys her son Andy a sought-after doll for his birthday and Andy names it Chucky. Things take a turn for the worse when Andy discovers that Chucky is possessed by the spirit of a serial killer. For a movie that isn’t particularly well respected by critics, it’s a genuinely good 80s horror movie that took me by surprise how confidently made and fun it is.
I’d expected Chucky to just go on a killing rampage, but the actual film is much more subdued than that. The entirety of the first half doesn’t even portray the doll being alive, but the filmmakers do it subtly through background details that make it obvious what is going on without showing it graphically. That subtlety elevated the movie above its comedic trappings.
Yes, the second half was a bit too comedic for me personally, though it genuinely made me chuckle more than a couple of times. Chucky’s lines are so funny, especially his cursing. Couple that with the absurd imagery of a doll with a knife going after people so briskly and you’ve got a very fun, funny time to be had here. But still, I wished for more horror elements in that second half.
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My least favorite part was the final chapter that saw the movie resort to that typical horror trapping of killing off the main monster only for it to come back to life again and again. It was both clichéd and uninspired. But the remainder of the story is actually much more authentic than that, especially the powerful, instantly iconic opening that introduced us to the unexpectedly rich mythology of this franchise that is pleasingly mystical and engaging.
Catherine Hicks is pretty good as the mother and I appreciated how quickly she realized her son was in danger and how proactive she was in solving the mystery. The detective elements were very strong in that middle act. The detective was very well played by Chris Sarandon and I liked the dynamic between the two. As for Andy, Alex Vincent was only okay in the role, but he is such a cute child that is also surprisingly competent and smart in tackling the doll himself.
Speaking of the little devil, Chucky looks incredible due to amazing animatronics work done on the movie. The film isn’t dated at all as it aged like fine wine. The movements are polished and very believable while the change in his look was surprisingly well thought out (the hair receding being an especially inspired addition). Chucky’s voice is super creepy and his line delivery is both eerie and very funny at times.
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Child’s Play portrays American consumerism so well while also being obviously inspired by that famous ‘Twilight Zone’ episode Living Doll. The magical fantastical elements also worked while the editing and pacing were so brisk and deft that the movie flies by how gripping and hugely entertaining it is. It’s one of the most underrated and best horror flicks of the decade and a great example of a horror comedy that actually works unlike the majority of its competitors.
