Chucky Finds Bluetooth
Reboots are always risky, and even more so when the genre is horror, which already isn’t in the best of graces with Hollywood. We’ve seen almost every iconic slasher film get their re-do over the last fifteen years. So it wasn’t exactly a shocker when we learned about Child’s Play getting its chance at the plate.
Chucky made his return, only this time with a complete reimagining. Brad Dourif, who has been the sole voice actor for the four-foot menace, did not reprise his role, and of course, the internet exploded with anger. For a while, it even looked like the movie wasn’t going to get made at all. Not only was Dourif not brought back, but Chucky had a completely new look, as compared to the original franchise, and the internet let its voice be heard again. But when Luke Skywalker himself (Mark Hamill) signed on to play the killer doll, the project seemed more intriguing. Hamill’s voice is of legendary status in its own right. He is, after all, the voice of the Joker in the Batman Animated series. But seeing him in this light was going to feel a little strange, considering Dourif’s voice is iconic in the Child’s Play franchise. It was going to be interesting to see what Hamill did with the reigns.
If you’re a traditionalist, then this movie may not be for you. There is nothing about this rendition of Child’s Play that even remotely resembles the films preceding it, including Chucky himself. This re-telling of the doll doesn’t have that iconic laugh; he doesn’t have the same witty one-liners, or the overall energy, Dourif’s Chucky had. Instead, this Chucky has a more brooding, monotone vibe, as opposed to what we’ve come to expect. But this doesn’t mean that Hamill’s take on the character is unworthy. If anything, it’s a movie that wants you to throw away everything you thought Chucky was before you walked into the theater to watch it. And when it comes to Dourif’s Chucky, and Hamill’s, the contrast between the two is night and day.
This time around, we get a modern toy for a contemporary world. Chucky joins the 21st century in a Black Mirror-like rendition in which the “Buddi” Dolls are the hot new toy that serves as companions for youngsters. They can connect to television sets, and cell-phones, in a way acting as a Siri, or an Alexa. But the particular doll that thirteen-year-old Andy receives has been tampered with, and the bloodshed begins.
Clocking in at around 2 hours, Child’s Play is refreshing in some phases, and predictable in others. It’s refreshing in that Chucky has always been the epiphany of evil incarnate. But in this movie, you almost want to sympathize with him. A killer toy robot that wants to do well by his owner, but his means of getting there are through killing anything that displeases Andy.
Hamill’s voice is creepy enough to make this work, as his Chucky is numb, menacing, and foreboding. And you can tell that at times, Chucky’s endgame here is to please Andy, and to be accepted by him, making him strike a chord with the audience, even with his obsession to win over Andy, no matter the cost. Hamill’s unique ability to breath life into characters with his voice makes this all the easier. His take on Chucky seems more sinister and psychologically manipulative, but there are times in this movie where it drags, and Hamill is tragically under-utilized. There are flashes of a great Chucky in this movie, but the way he’s written seems to be right on the tip of the tongue, and at times he’s a little too empty. Yes, he’s a robot in this re-telling, but he doesn’t seem to demand the viewer’s attention as much as he could have, and the problem there is that he’s the film’s antagonist.
A lot of Chucky’s kills in Child’s Play are creative and disturbing. There is a direct connection between the doll and modern technology which opened up a lot of fun new ideas, that made for a fun time as we watch some of the kills that Chucky conjures up. Some of them seem remote control style.
In terms of violence, Child’s Play is balanced. It doesn’t overdo it on the blood, or the gore, which makes those moments within the film all the more impactful. It has moments where it might make you laugh, but its focus is a darker, more serious tone. The original movie was a lot like this as well, though it did it better. Chucky coming to life for the first time in Karen Barclay’s hands in the original film is iconic, and there doesn’t seem to be many moments like that here. Gabriel Bateman (Andy) is a highlight in this movie, and no doubt has a bright future in the industry. And the same can be said about pretty much all the other actors. Everyone seemed to have fun with the project, thus making the characters believable. This rendition of Child’s Play is a more modernized, cold, and calculated thriller, and while it does a few things differently than the originals, it’s a refreshing take on the killer doll that will appeal to a newer generation, and will still be a fun Saturday night at the movies, although it doesn’t go much further than that.
