Toys are evil. They can change the way people act and think, making once normal and rational people act like people possessed. Who can forget the craze for Buzz Lightyear or the Furby's or those damned Tamagotchi's? Making parents queue for hours on end, selling their souls just to make their kids happy on Christmas day then for the toy to sit and gather dust all the other days of the year. Of course some toys are really, really evil. Chucky the not-so-nice doll, for example, isn't the kind of toy you'd leave your kid to play with because Chucky doesn't play nice at all.
The Child's Play begins on a dark night where Mike Norris (Chris Sarandon) is in pursuit of the nasty criminal Charles Lee Ray (Brad Dourif). After both trying to kill each other but failing the chase ends up in a toyshop where Norris finally makes a direct hit on Charles. Naturally Charles isn't too happy on the prospect on dying but he has one more trick up his sleeve. Reciting an ancient incantation he passes his soul onto the nearest thing possible, that being a Good Guy doll currently the hottest toy in town. A day later and its Andy Barclay's (Alex Vincent) birthday and it's up to his strap cashed mum Karen (Catherine Hicks) to come up with the goods. Unfortunately for them both they'll be wishing that this Good Guy doll was never made. When people start dying mysteriously whenever Andy is around the cops think they have a psycho kid on their hands, what is more a totally mad one, after all it's
mad to think a doll could be behind it all.
Like most films that are first in a horror series the tone of the film is a lot darker. Chucky is supposed to be actually scary and threatening rather than a horror villain that does a load of (admittedly funny) one liners while killing people. The film doesn't actually let you see Chucky in action until around halfway. Until then we only see glimpses and POV shots of the doll from time to time. This suspense builds up so much that you actually will become scared of the doll sitting there with its vacant look and plastered on smile. It's unervering and sets up the scene well for when we actually get to see Chucky move, talk and stab in his full glory.
The film only has a small cast of main characters so you'd hope that they are at least passable in terms of talent. What we get is a pretty good effort all round. Vincent really has to carry a lot of the film on his own so it would be pretty disastrous to have a kid actor that you just want to die every time he opens his mouth. Luckily Vincent isn't too bad. He's certainly not perfect and there are times when his whiny voice that American kids do so well can grate but for the most part he does well. Certainly the way he interacts with Chucky before the big build up is very well acted out. It's hard to say there's chemistry between him and a inanimate doll, then again there seems to be more there than your average leads give you in a typical Hollywood blockbuster, but there is some kind of relationship there that only a kid and his favourite toy can have. Hicks does well at playing the fretful but gutsy mum. The film doesn't let her slide into the pitiful female role but nor does it portray her as some sort of force against evil. She's an average woman who's concerned about her kid losing his marbles. As with Vincent, Hicks also plays the character well enough to make you like her. Finally Sarandon does his stock display of hard cop with a arrogant nature displaying a soft side. He certainly isn't stretching himself in this role by any means but is good enough in his own right. As a whole then the performances from the small main cast do help the film along. There's some typically cheesy and padded dialogue in some scenes in an effort to flesh things out but that's what you get in horror movies and its not so bad as to make the film unwatchable.
There isn't too much violence in the film, or at least not compared to other movies like it. Chucky is a bit more sedate in this film than he is in the others but he still manages to make a few people's lives a painful misery. There are a few notable wincing moments such as an Evil Dead style stabbing (not as gorey but still just as painful looking) and also an inventive use with some experimental hospital equipment. The director Holland goes more for tense, sedate pace than real shock tactics all over the place. There are some great moments that love to prolong the agony of the viewer wondering when the hell Chucky will jump out. People will creep cautiously down dark corridors or slowly look underneath a couch ready for a nasty surprise. These techniques are hardly anything new to the genre but it's a technique that's not really used to full effect these days and Child's Play can do it quite well when it wants to. In Child's Play case the slow build-up does actually lead somewhere. A typical dark setting where the star of the show is alone in the house with the killer paves way for a frantic rush of action as soon the whole main cast get involved trying to finish off Chucky for good as his relentless pursuit reaches new heights (and a certain parody) that's manages to make the film leave on a good note.
Child's Play hasn't really stood the test of time in terms of effects. Chucky's facial animations and movements are certainly not as refined as the later ones which is not surprising really and sometimes there are some blatant un-Chucky movements when he is concerned. As far as other downsides there's not too much. The pacing is slow so for people wanting a shock fill ride from start to finish won't find this too entertaining and best check out the later entries in the series. Also the ending, while fairly manic, can seem to drag on a bit too long with Chucky rising from the 'dead' one time too many which can begin to grate though luckily the dark humour of it all saves it.
It would be incorrect to say that Child's Play, in terms of techniques and formulas, is an original foray into the horror genre. It's success and large fanbase goes down to the fact that the killer is a possessed, evil little doll. It does well enough in what horrors are supposed to do but it is ultimately Chucky, even in this first installement that is the star of the whole show. Now portrayed as a typical anti-hero like most horror serial killers for those wanting to see how it all started and to see Chucky at his darkest then this film is a must view. While time hasn't been kind to it in all respects Chucky deserves a chance to play with your nerves.
CHILD'S PLAY IS
Good in technique Quite good in the performances Proof that toys are really evil
CHILD'S PLAY IS NOT
Fast paced Totally original Packed with blood
Part of the HALLOWEEN SEASON 2005
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Production Year: 2000 - Horror - Director: Keenen Ivory Wayans - Original Language: English - Classification: 18 years and over - Starring: Carmen Electra, Anna Faris, Kurt Fuller, James Van Der Beek, Keenen Ivory Wayans
Oct 6th, 2005
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