Chucky 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.

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.

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.

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.

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