Jeu d'enfant

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.

It was always the films where a child is in peril that stuck with me the most. Child's Play was probably the top of the crop.

The film taps into all those things you remember as a child like those colorful commercials that would promote the cereal you were eating. And those big dolls like 'My Buddy', that even as a kid I knew were creepy.

Script, acting, music, mood, atmosphere, direction, scares, everything works and that's why I give it the high rating it deserves.

Brad Dourif was the perfect choice for the voice of the Chucky doll. It's sinister and angry and darkly sarcastic. He is what I consider to be one of the all time great underrated actors.

The film is bleak. There's nothing happy about it although the good guy doll commercials insist it's playtime.

After this film, the only sequel I highly recommend is Child's Play 2, which I love just about as much as this one. Part 3 wasn't bad. Bride of Chucky was an interesting new direction to go in, but the feeling of the first couple of films is long gone by then, and Seed of Chucky was about the same.

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.

Well made thriller about a dying serial killer (Brad Doriff) transplanting his soul into a child's play doll. Fast forward now and a mother buys the doll for his son's birthday. Doriff then goes on a killing spree, but after a cop wounds him he finds out that if he stays in the doll's body for too long, he and the doll will become one forever. So he goes after his owner so that he can transfer souls. Highly original premise highlighted by terrific special effects and lots of good one liners and humor.

Rated R; Extreme Violence & Profanity.

Director Tom Holland does quite a good job scaring us with this cliche-ridden, unoriginal story of a serial killer transferring his soul to a toy store doll. The doll is incredibly eerie with its red hair and deep eyes, and goes by the name of Chucky saying things like, "My name's Chucky...wanna play?" Although much of the plot is very predictable(especially the ending), the execution of the plot is first-rate. Add to this some earnest acting from CatherineHicks, Chris Sarandon, and especially Alex Vincent playing a six-year old, and you have a pretty entertaining feature. The special effects are also first-rate, and the doll seems to actually be alive. Brad Douriff adds his voice to the demented Chucky, and his voice is evil personified. Dinah Manoff has a small role, but it is an important role which she plays very well. The atmosphere is definitely set on suspense and it is a rollercoaster of a ride as we see the doll slowly become human and seek out his only murderous hope for salvation. Good scares!