Child's Play 3

Another hit classic thriller/horror film into The Child's Play Series. Child's Play 3 was a amazing comeback. The film is about Chucky who returns again as a doll after being possessed by a serial killer. He goes to search for Andy Barclay who has enrolled in a Military School, he is now a teenager. Chucky's plan changes when he meets a younger boy named Tyler he tried taking over his soul, but Andy will do whatever it takes to stop Chucky before he transfers his soul into the innocent Tyler.

After hearing about Child's Play 3 long time ago I thought that they were going to re-cast Alex Vincent in this one when he became a teenager because Alex Vincent always shined in the originals. We wanted to see the story continue with Alex Vincent, but after seeing Child's Play 3 it was too bad. The film had great performances by Justin Whalin who starred as Andy and Jeremy Sylvers was great starring as Tyler. The film was another Horror hit classic and Brad Dourif did great again playing the voice of Chucky.

The film had different plot points and all new cast. Child's Play 3 was good into The Child Play Series. I recommend this one to everyone as well. Child's Play and Child's Play 2 with Alex Vincent amazing horror classic. Child's Play 3 another great horror comeback.

I'm going to comment hell for this one. This comment will most likely receive a very low "useful" rating, but I'm OK with that. This movie was quite possibly my favorite of the Child's Play series. And although you will probably not agree, you will see what I mean:

This movie takes place 8 years after the previous. Andy is now a teen and has been sent to a military academy. And guess what: Chucky decided to tag along. This makes for a great story. Chucky really shows his true colors and sick, twisted sense of humor here. We also have an interesting group of characters here, who are actually worth mentioning. We have Andy of course, we have Tyler, a young cadet who catches Chucky's eye as a replacement of Andy; there's DeSilva, a tough girl who has a soft spot for Andy; we have Whitehurst, an outspoken, nerdy type who quickly befriends Andy; we have Shelton, a military-loving, tough, intimidating young man who has it in for Andy; and we have Botnik, an older guy, the barber who loves his job just a little too much. Together with these great characters is a great setting. There are some very interesting kills here which I have not even thought of or seen in any previous film. I do not understand why this movie is so underrated. Is it because of the time lapse? Maybe because Andy's not a kid? New setting? No matter what the reason, this movie deserves much more than a 4.1 rating (as of 3/7/08). I say it gets 9/10. Fans of the first 2 films will not want to miss this.

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.

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!!

While it is not my favourite genre, there is an appreciation for the horror genre. Mainly watched 'Child's Play 3' having decided to recently watch and review all the films in the 'Child's Play'/Chucky series, having been intrigued for a long time by Chucky's horror icon status, a deserved distinction.

Do feel that the character himself is better than the films. The 'Child's Play'/Chucky films are very variable, with the first film being by far the best. None of the sequels are as good, though don't consider them unwatchable. 'Child's Play 3' has been deemed one of the, sometimes the, worst in the series. For me it is definitely the worst of the initial trilogy and although the title for worst is debatable it is a lesser one to me.

There are faults in 'Child's Play 3'. The story is predictable with no originality and too much of it is complete nonsense. Aside from with Chucky, the dialogue is really cheesy and with two exceptions the acting is lacking, Justin Whalin being especially annoying. The romance was a pointless distraction, there seemingly to pad out time, and a few of the characters behave idiotically.

Like the second film there is a rushed feel here, there is a sense of a relatively tight budget (although the film looks good still) and even tighter time constraints. Also felt that whereas the first 'Child's Play' avoided going the cheesy, goofy and formulaic route that it could easily have done considering the premise, 'Child's Play 3' did feel formulaic and too much of it failed to escape the unintentionally.

However, 'Child's Play 3' looks slick and suitably ominous and the special effects don't disappoint, they blend very well, look eerily life-like and move easily. The music is more ambitious and even more haunting here, it fits very well. While lacking the panache of Tom Holland's in the first 'Child's Play', John Lafia's direction is more than competent. Chucky's lines are like in the first two films, darkly witty and clever with one-liners that are smart, frighteningly sarcastic and entertainingly twisted. In terms of individual scenes, the climax comes off best, being a lot of fun

'Child's Play 3' does have entertainment value and some creepiness, with the attack scenes/kills and set pieces being creative and genuinely unsettling. Chucky is a character impossible to forget, the writers and effects team had the time of their lives clearly (as well as Brad Dourif of course). Wasn't crazy about the acting here, but will say that Andrew Robinson has an unsettling ball as his character. The biggest acting plus though, like the previous two films, is Dourif, the personification of malevolence and is also wickedly funny.

In conclusion, watchable but not great by any stretch. 5/10 Bethany Cox