One of those movies that when I watched it as a kid it didn’t do anything to me… However now that I have a son, this movie is ten times more creepy.
Child’s Play revolves around a single mother Karen, and her son Andy. It’s Andy’s birthday and all he wants is a “Good Guy” doll. Mom eventually buys one off a bum in an alley (thanks mom) that comes with a surprise, and it’s not herpes. The night before Detective Norris chased alleged (he never had a trial) strangler Charles Lee Ray into a toy store. After being shot, Charles transfers his soul into a certain doll that just happened to be sold to a down on her luck mom with a cute kid. Anyway, the doll eventually reveals himself and wouldn’t you know it, it goes on a killing spree.
Again, when I saw this the first time it was just another movie. Watching it again years later it creeped me the hell, I guess because I can at least sort of relate to Karen and Andy. The child actor that played Andy did a really good job of portraying a boy that just wants to have a friend. The director/writer also manage to make you feel empathetic to Andy and Chucky’s initial relationship by never showing him with any other kids his own age. It’s like Chucky WAS his only friend.
By the end of the movie when Chucky is going after Andy and no one believes him, AND he is literally crying in a room all alone, I actually felt bad. Like real emotion. It’s probably only because I never want to see my kid in such a state of fear and abandonment, but it really got to me. Then when they have Chucky caught in the fireplace and he is about to be burnt up, Chucky switches back on the charm for Andy. “But Andy… Friends till the end remember?” To which Andy replies “This is the end!” … Had I seen this in the theater I would have been that guy clapping… seriously.
I really liked this movie. It’s funny that when ever I thought about Child’s Play I always associated it with “Problem Child”. Funnier than that, Problem Child stars single dad played by John Ritter, and Ritter plays a Police Chief in “Bride of Chucky”… Odd but true. I am very sad to see that there isn’t a “Child’s Play” collection with all five movies in it, but I guess it’s for the same reasons why there isn’t a “Halloween” collection either, multiple studios involved. If you have never seen this one, it’s worth a watch, again for that “getting back to the horror roots” of the late 80’s early 90’s.
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