Jeu d'enfant 3

I never watched the Chucky series in sequence. I never used to like them. I saw Seed of Chucky, Child's Play, Bride of Chucky, child's Play 2 and then Child's Play 3. Seeing as though this was the last that I watched. I really was into Chucky and I thought it was a great addition to the series, yes it's a bit "out there" but that's what's good about Chucky. I'm not particularly into the military thing but this movie made me appreciate it that bit more. I think it is good how it shows Andy still hasn't gotten over his phsycological problems and that he is still terrified of his old best friend. I liked this one better than the original and I love the lines that Chucky says. For those who don't think it's a good movie, I understand because I didn't enjoy it the first time I watched it but now that I have seen it more I love it!!

Set eights years after Child's Play 2, this sequel sees Andy Barclay attending Military School and getting bullied by the drill sergeant ("poor man's Christian Slater" Travis Fine, who never really became as popular as he should have been). Meanwhile, the Play Pals company has reopened the Good Guy factory and is starting production of the doll once more. But when clearing away Chucky's grisly remains, some of his blood spills into a vat of molten plastic and he is born once more in a new body.

After a good old strangulation to get the circulation going he locates Andy at his military school and somehow figures out a way to mail himself there. However, once the package gets there it is promptly snatched by a very annoying, morbidly juvenile, and highly wimpy little kid called Tyler who has the same face as has-been 'singer' Craig David, only more annoying (if that is even possible). Since he has a new body Chucky reveals his birth name once more, hoping to get a fast and easy ticket out of his plastic shell. As before there are too many distractions.

And as before the film spends way too much time with boring humans who spend too much time lurking in the dark wondering why a doll seems to appear and reappear and not enough time with Chucky. He IS the star of the show and he should OWN this movie. Alias and Lost director Jack Bender never really gives him the chance. Which is a shame since the animatronics had improved over Child's Play 2 and Chucky was beginning to look nastily cute. And more and more like Brad Dourif if you look hard enough. Bender's direction is slick but lacks edge, invention or humor. He seems to be ignorant of the potential Chucky has and treats the film like another mechanical TV series with no spark or signature. I remember when I first watched the VHS tape as a kid I immediately noticed how darker and gloomier this movie is, which ultimately leads to an overwhelming downbeat, depressing atmosphere, that sort of does and sort of doesn't work.

The score is a major downer though. Greame Revell's wonderful orchestral adventure of Child's Play 2 has been replaced with a horrid synthesized, death-metal score filled with tacky and unimaginative stingers. Revell, fortunately, returned for Bride of Chucky.

Child's Play 3 is no more than a competent sequel. Writer Don Mancini said he wasn't even ready to do a 3rd movie but Universal forced him to before the second was even released. As he was out of ideas he claims this film to be his least favorite of them all. If a better director were involved it could still have been a good film instead of being a merely an above average (by a tiny, tiny bit) one.

Just when you MIGHT have thought - after watching an excruciatingly long death sequence in Child's Play 2 - that Chucky was no more - he's back(and with the cliché) with a vengeance. How is he resurrected? Well, apparently when eight years have passed the toy company reopens their Good Guy doll factory, removes the cobwebs off of all the old stock, pick the mutilated, dead Chucky doll up and pop him in a vat of boiling plastics. The springs of Lourdes never had so much healing power! This revives Chucky, and he instantly becomes his mean, killing machine of old and wants to find Andy Barclay to take his soul. Andy, played by Justin Whalin, is an older teenager now and enrolled at a military academy. Well, not to get too bogged down in a script that doesn't really merit such an intense analysis - Chucky finds Andy and continues to basically do what he did in the two earlier films. Lots of killing. Lots of wisecracks and that cackling laugh. Lots of the same. I did like this film more though than the second installment. First of all, the director did NOT repeat the problem of an overly long, seemingly never-ending death scene. The military school makes for an interesting backdrop to the story. The young actors do credible jobs. There are some interesting , quirky characterizations from the rest of the cast with Andrew Robinson stealing his scenes as a barber who really enjoys shaving the heads of the cadets. In fact I loved the little ponytails hung on the walls of his salon. A neat little addition. The story is nothing special though, and the film is very formulaic. It is entertaining if you - like me - have limited expectations.

Okay, so placing it eight years in the future and dumping Alex Vincent for attractive Justin Whalin may have turned people off. I kinda wondered how Chucky managed to wrap and address the package when he was in the box, but whatever. This is my favourite of the series and also the best comic moments until Bride of Chucky came along. I did hear that Alex had no desire to appear in this movie which is probably why it was set up the way it was. It is an interesting take on the series, but if anyone else noticed the blood dripping into a vat of boiling plastic, wouldn't there be more dolls affected?? My rating is 1) Child's Play 3 2) Bride of Chucky 3) Child's Play 4) Child's Play 2 5) Seed of Chucky. BTW Curse of Chucky is not worth watching.

Every horror series has a black sheep. "Friday the 13th" had the Jason-less fifth installment, "Halloween" the Michael Meyers-less third entry, and "A Nightmare on Elm Street" the silly first sequel. For many fans, "Child's Play 3" is the embarrassment of the Chucky saga. But why?

So many reviews of this film express exacerbation, even confusion, over the sudden shift eight years into the future. What's so hard to understand? We had already had two movies with Chucky chasing a little kid. It was time to move the story along, hence our hero Andy Barclay (Justin Whalin) is now a teenager at a military academy. This change of scenery was the breath of fresh air the series needed, as it opens up all kinds of new options to the murderous doll, which he fully exploits (paintball guns loaded with real ammo, anyone?).

Other reviewers complain this just isn't scary. There they have a point, but how many gorefests actually bring our hands up to our eyes? Scariness is a great complement, but that doesn't mean the whole project goes down the tubes without it. "Child's Play 3" has a smooth storyline, a touch of suspense and a truly memorable, original climax at a carnival (though it doesn't quite surpass the doll factory finale of the the previous film). Chucky's foul mouth begins to be a liability rather than an asset, but we can cut him some slack -- he's certainly never looked better (or more realistic).

"Child's Play 3" does have its ups and downs, however. The romance between Andy and a fellow cadet is a distraction, and there are times when our plastic star just seems brushed aside in favor of more serious moments. Chucky's desire to swap souls with someone other than Andy is a welcome change, but his new target, young Tyler, is one dimensional and uninteresting. He's unable to carry his scenes like Alex Vincent, who played child Andy in the first two films.

As far as I'm concerned, this was the last of the true "Child's Play" films. Once this one was done, the series became a shameful, hokey parody of itself. This entry is by no means perfect and it's certainly not up the caliber of "Child's Play 2". Yet it's not the piece of trash so many would have us believe. In fact, it may just be one of the most underrated theatrical horror films of the early '90s.