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When people nowadays think of Chucky, the living doll, they think of the foul mouthed psycho doll complete with body modifications and a punky bride in a movie filled with funny one liners and black humor. However, when Chucky came to life almost 20 years ago, he was a real thrill that redefined the horror genre of the late 80s and spawned a series of imitators (some better than others).

Director Tom Holland crafts this very original tale written by Don Mancini, where a dying sociopath (Brad Douriff) uses voodoo to transplant his soul to an inanimate toy. Catherine Hicks plays Karen Barclay, a single mother who gets the possessed toy for her little son Andy (Alex Vincent), not knowing what is hidden deep inside the doll.

Despite its apparent cheesiness, Holland truly creates a haunting atmosphere filled with suspense by following the trick Steven Spielberg used in "Jaws". While we know from the very beginning that the toy is haunted, we never get a glimpse of what he can do and neither does the characters; only the young Andy knows the truth, but nobody believes him.

Unlike its current MTV-inspired incarnations, "Child's Play" starts a bit slow, but suddenly it turns into a suspense-filled roller-coaster with enough thrills to keep you at the edge of the seat. Holland directions truly makes the difference between a cheap B-movie and the classy film this one has become.

Brad Dourif makes a superb job and this movie started his now-legendary career in the genre. Catherine Hicks is a very good lead character, surprisingly realistic, thanks in part to the very well-written dialog. Chris Sarandon completes the cast as the detective investigating the mysterious murders surrounding Chucky and Andy.

The movie moves at a very good pace, despite its slow start; it has that 80s feeling and it is surprisingly violent for its time (it was released when rules were turning a bit stricter). It has great special effects and a very creepy atmosphere inside it's urban landscape.

While many reviewers consider a flaw the fact that Chucky's possession is not a mystery, I believe that a lot of the suspense is in the fact that we know that, but the characters don't. It is a very well constructed film in the end, and definitely better than its current sequels. 8/10

This movie starts out pretty slow with a killer named Charles Lee Ray doing voodoo magic to put his soul into a kid's doll. After that it starts to get slow and generic even with the killer doll with things not making much sense (and I am not talking about the Chucky doll thing either). But when Chucky starts his sinister cacklying and cursing that he is known for the movie does pick up. The build up to that point isn't that bad though and I can understand why they had to go in that direction at first. It does add a sense of mystery even if the audiences does know what is going on from the start. The trademark Chucky voice really does add flavor to this slasher. As a matter of fact I wouldn't be shocked if Heath Ledger was inspired by Chucky for his role in "The Dark Knight" now that I think about it. It's cool to see Chucky not going on that unstoppable killer slasher direction, he uses stealth and pulls tricks to kill someone. Plus whenever found, he could just act like a regular doll. Which actually does adds to making him quite a dangerous and sinister killer. This does not have a lot of blood and gore, nor does it have a lot of body count but it does have entertainment value for a horror slasher movie. Overall this is a slasher movie that had a lot of cool and new elements to work with when it came to the direction at the time. And it's understandable how Chucky became one of the most memorable killer villain from the 80's. Thanks to Brad Dourif signature voice as Chucky.

8/10

No need to echo consensus points on this outstanding horror movie production. My only gripe is with the recurring anti-climaxes that cheapen the original infernal effect. As a result, movie buffs are again shown that knowing when to stop can be as important as knowing how to start; at the same time, the horror flick certainly knows how to slam-bang start.

To me, two themes in the script's subtext stand out. First, key to many ace horror flicks, such as The Thing (1951), and Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956), is not just the horror of the menace but the frustration in getting dis-believers to finally come around to confront the para-normal menace. Here, understandably, no one believes stories about an infernal kid's doll that's somehow alive. This, fortunately, adds to audience sense of engagement with Mom and little Andy as they're forced to grapple with the horror of the para-normal that no one else believes can be real.

Second is the poignant portrayal of Mother Love as that natural bond confronting the infernal doll in its death dealings. Ironically, it's the distance between mother and son at the outset that drives young Andy into the arms of what seems a friendly doll that will then be his needed companion. Thus Mom in particular must learn a lesson about family ties that the doll ironically provides. Happily, the growing bond between them is developed in a non-sappy way that's unusual for most any kind of movie. And that is largely thanks to actors Hicks and Vincent, respectively. In fact, I'd be inclined to award them special Oscars for their moving performances, as though the snooty Oscars ever took note of little horror flicks.

Anyway, these are two notable aspects of the screenplay neither of which has directly to do with the scary effects, but do merit mention. All in all, except for the anti-climaxes, the movie's superior of its kind, so catch up with it if you can.

Serial killer Charles Lee Ray (Brad Dourif) gets shot by detective Norris (Chris Sarandon). As he struggles with his last breath, he transfers his soul into a Good Guys doll. Meanwhile Karen Barclay (Catherine Hicks) is a cash strapped single mom. Her kid is desperate for the doll, and she could only afford one from a shady homeless guy. It turns out that the doll has Charles Lee Ray's soul in it, and he wants to transfer to the kid.

This is a well made horror. The general idea of a killer doll may be an old one. But this is done with some fun freshness. Director Tom Holland is definitely a good study of horror. He's able to inject a lot of good old fashion scares into this film. He hides Chucky in the act of killing until late in the movie. This allows the tension to build. And the reveal is great. The whole thing works. The only thing holding it back is a little bit of unintentionally camp. The F/X needs improvements. These are all forgivable. Catherine Hicks and Chris Sarandon are both good character actors. At its core, this is a good film.

When I was younger, my friend and I would obsess over Chucky. We would dream up all the ways we could torture that evil doll. That was the only real monster/psycho we could handle. We couldn't deal with Jason, Freddy, Michael Myers, and later Candyman so Chucky became the one abomination we would dream of harming to get even.

I just saw Child's Play 2019 and it prompted me to rewatch the original.

The original is so much better. Brad Dourif as the voice of Chucky/The Good Guy doll was perfect. He was so sinister sounding and crude he just sounded evil. He even made it into a rap song-Child's Play by Bushwick Bill (great song by the way).

This movie resonated with me as a kid so much because it was patterned after the My Buddy doll that was so huge. There was My Buddy and Kid Sister but dolls in general back then were big. Before iPhones and videogames took over there were dolls for boys and girls. Of course there was Barbie, then there were Cabbage Patch Kids, Glow Worms, My Buddy and some other lesser known dolls. So, the Good Guy Doll made so much sense.

Child's Play is a movie from a bygone era. It was the last of the popular 80's scary movies to spawn sequels. Chucky belongs in the scary movie bad guy hall of fame.

Child's Play is usually categorized with other definitive horror films of the 70's and 80's, such as Friday the 13th, Halloween, and A Nightmare on Elm Street, while it's a lot different, in ways I'll get into later.

Charles Lee Ray (Brad Dourif) is a serial killer who is finally killed by Mike Norris (Chris Sarandon). However, he performs a chant right before he dies. Karen Barclay (Catherine Hicks) is a single mother who works in a jewelry department in a department store. She lives in an apartment with her six-year-old son Andy (Alex Vincent), who is like any normal six-year-old. He loves the television show `Good Guys', and they have lots of toys and dolls that you can buy. When his birthday comes around, he doesn't get a $100 Good Guy, but Karen buys one from a peddler off the street for $30. However, that doll, whose name is Chucky, is actually filled with the spirit of Ray, who tries to kill everyone.

At times this can be pretty effective, even scary, even when they add to it with predictable, cheap scares. When Maggie (Dinah Manoff, who overacts throughout the entire movie) is slowly walking through the kitchen with no music, with the phone in plain sight, do you think it's going to ring? Thankfully, there aren't too many of them. The entire plot is pretty clever, not just a `Craven' or `De Palma' theme. Also, the puppetry of Chucky was pretty good, for it being 15 years ago. The cinematography was good, with many first person shots, which were effective.

Dourif, who played a gentle man in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, was very good, especially in the beginning, when we actually saw him. Why he isn't a big name now is beyond me. Hicks was good for what she was required to be: panicky and caring to Andy. Sarandon didn't do anything for me, as the obligatory police officer. Vincent talked like stereotypical movie children did, enunciating every syllable.

The music really helped, with it booming to prove its point of being a horror movie. It could have had some humor, like other horror movies do, to help it out some. Since it's less than 90 minutes and a horror films, they didn't worry about anything like plot holes or continuity errors. A few I noticed: how DID he go into Chucky, besides the chant, why would the Chucky doll be burned up, the dates continuously change. That scene with voodoo was very cool. That's about all I can say, so I won't say any more.

My rating: 7/10

Rated R for language and violent situations.

Child's play is an excellent example of great child acting that elevates the movie. I am truly impressed at how good Alex Vincent's acting is in this, it's incredible that a 4 year old child acts better then I ever could. The film is quite short but in my opinion that makes it work a lot better. This feels about as long as an episode of something like the X factor, even though this is almost twice as long. The good pacing and great acting (Mostly from Alex Vincent) help to make this an horror classic.

In conclusion, this is an damn good horror movie with great characters and an awesome premise. A must see for all horror fans.

I've seen this brilliant horror movie over twenty times so far and it is still great."Child's Play" is wonderfully original-a great concept(the soul of a serial killer in the puppet)and villain(Chucky!)are perhaps the keys to it all.Plenty of shocks and scares,pretty good acting and lots of violence.The direction and editing are so tight and carefully done.Now I can see why this movie was such a huge success in 1988.Managing to be both frightening and classy,this is a nerve-wracking experience.I actually found "Child's Play" to be a very scary film.I did not find it too gory,but what gore there is it was done to heighten intensity levels to the extreme.All in all,I wholeheartedly recommend it to any open-minded viewer,who likes to watch horror movies.The hammer in the head scene still gives me goosebumps.

This film actually had moments that scared me a little. The concept seems crazy but director Tom Holland makes it work. The special effects by Kevin Yagher are great and Chucky is just plain cool. I'm glad I saw this when I was older or else I would have had nightmares for years.

Child's Play (1988)

*** (out of 4)

A single mother (Catherine Hicks) buys her son Andy (Alex Vincent) a Good Guy doll. Chucky becomes the young kid's best friend but after a few bizarre things happening the kid is convinced that the doll is alive. The mother doesn't believe him at first but soon she realizes the truth but she can't convince the police detective (Chris Sarandon) that the doll is alive and killing.

CHILD'S PLAY certainly wasn't the first movie to deal with killer dolls but there's no question that it has become the best known and most loved. It's really amazing how well the film has held up after nearly thirty-years and it's clear that there's no slowing down as the series continues to get sequels. With that said, as good as some of the sequels are, they can't compare to the original film, which had Chucky being one evil maniac.

The film works on many levels but the best thing about it is that it goes against the majority of the slasher films that were out around this time. Instead of just trying to come up with creative kills, this film instead plays out like a thriller and on this level it works. The story of the single mother and her son is a great set-up and this really adds to the drama. Even better is the relationship between the cop and the mother as this added even more drama that plays itself out well against the horror elements. Then you've got a great killer in the Chucky doll but there's also the entire story dealing with the serial killer played by Brad Dourif.

The special effects are also another major plus and especially how perfectly blended the mechanical Chucky was as well as the moments where he's being played by an actor. THe film manages to have some nice suspense and is certainly very well directed by Tom Holland. The film is certainly one of the better horror films from the later day slasher era.

A child receives a doll possessed by a murderous strangler who looses his regular body and tries to take possession of the new one to live. This was a pretty well done film overall with good amounts of humor. Charles Lee Ray, a.k.a. Chucky, is an intense but also a pretty laughable character throughout. Lots of neat surprises and a hilarious time to see Chucky first come alive in full when he was threatened to be thrown in the fireplace. The ending was a little bit creepy, but the rest was pretty well done for the most part. This is one of my horror movie classics. Almost all the sequels that go with it we're good too.

Still in 2023 this movie holds up, and will continue for future generations. Perfectly paced, and suspenseful. It's always a good watch, and never fails to entertain me. Amazing characters, and kills; it's a good time overall to watch by yourself or with others. A classic that will never run out of style. You could never go wrong watching this movie. The animatronic work put into this film is outstanding, and better than most stuff done even now a days. You really believe this orange haired freak is alive and never ruins your disbelief. This movie as long as it's others show why a classic never goes out of style!

If you can get past the inherent silliness of all the voodoo magic, spontaneous lightning storms and reincarnated serial killers, this one actually isn't half bad. In a genre that's often defined by its willingness to play fast and loose with reality, I've certainly been asked to believe in worse than a possessed Cabbage Patch Kid. Chucky is the name of this little terror, as I'm sure you're already well aware: bloodthirsty validation for everyone who was ever creeped out by the leering gaze of a forgotten baby doll in their bedroom closet. This particular red-haired monstrosity harbors the spirit of a psychopath and, after his whispering game of deception with a six-year-old boy is sussed out, he grows brazen in search of a life beyond the Playskool universe.

The first act is a tough ask, cheesy and low-rent as can be, but as the tension improves and the atmosphere gathers, the production also gets its act together. Right around the time Chucky leads his young owner into a bad neighborhood and triggers a gas explosion, leveling an old tenement building, everything hits full stride. If you've made it that far, you've earned the ensuing rewards. While I would never call it smart, the story then finds its way; knocking off former associates, the doll leverages the adults' skepticism to, literally, get away with murder. The action scenes progress from cheap, implausible jump scares to claustrophobic ambushes, much better suited to the small, slight perpetrator. Chucky's appearance, too, improves by leaps and bounds. As the doll grows more audacious, his expression gradually shifts from a vacant, mass-produced grin into something more animated and sinister, climaxing in a fully-articulated sneer that not even a raging inferno can wipe away.

I wonder how many cast members actually thought this story was going to amount to anything. No doubt, several reflected upon their professional choices as they shook a lifeless toy above their head and mustered their best tortured screams. Catherine Hicks, who plays the fraught single mother, is asked to do most of that heavy lifting and I think I caught a few hints of "what am I doing with my life" in her close encounters with the doll. She troops on, though, brows continuously furrowed in a blend of fright and disbelief, and serves as the anchor this concept so desperately needs. A little dash of recognizable humanity amidst a vortex of impossibility.

Killer Charles Lee Ray (Brad Dourif) is shot and killed by policeman Mike Norris (Chris Sarandon) in a toy store. Before he dies he transfers his soul into a Good Guy doll named Chucky. Mom Karen Barclay (Catherine Hicks) buys the doll for her son Andy (Alex Vincent) and Chucky sets out to settle the score with a few people. Andy knows Chucky is alive and dangerous...but nobody believes him.

OK--this movie does have its fans. Its led to four sequels (so far) and does have two great sequences--when Hicks slowly realizes the doll is alive and when Sarandon is attacked in his car. But this movie never really worked for me. I personally never found the doll scary and had a hard time taking some of the attack sequences seriously. It DOES look pretty stupid when the doll "attacks" Hicks. The special effects making the doll talk and move are impressive (no CGI used here) but I found the movie slow--even at 88 minutes. Also Vincent was a TERRIBLE actor--but he was only 7 when he did this. Surprisingly even Sarandon (a VERY good actor) sleepwalks through this.

On the plus side it has the few neat killings, Hicks is actually very good, Dourifs lines are pretty cool coming out of the doll and (again) the lifelike movements of the doll are impressive. But I was basically pretty bored--and I'm a big horror movie fan. Director Tom Holland did much better a few years earlier with "Fright Night". Rent that instead.

I should mention I find one of the sequels "Bride of Chucky" a lot of fun but the rest are pretty terrible. Personally I can only give this a 4.

The original Chucky is the greatest one in the series because it's an actual horror movie with almost no jokes and Chucky is actually the ANTAGONIST, unlike everything of Child's Play 2. But one thing is that O think it took too long for a first kill for a slasher.

While Child's Play isn't exactly remembered as a horror classic, it is notable for creating the memorable killer doll Chucky. Chucky is fun to watch and is a unique killer in the genre. Child's Play relies on a lot of typical scares, but has a brisk pace and some decent suspense to offset it. The effects of Chucky and pounding score are the big standouts.