cpking7

Just got a chance to see this, and on the one hand, I'd read a few negative user reviews, but then I'd also seen very positive media reviews and that it had won a bunch of awards on the horror festival circuit, so I was curious where I'd come down.

Just so you Chucky fans can know my taste, I really liked the original, but I LOVED both Bride of Chucky and Seed of Chucky. Bride added a lot more whimsy and comedy to the franchise, along with great visual style. I think Seed surprised a lot of fans because it mostly left horror behind: it's a campy, shockingly obscene, hilarious comedy, really one of the funniest movies of the last decade. The Bowie-like Glen/Glenda is a completely inspired character, part Oliver Twist, part Charles Manson. Jennifer Tilly is amazing. Love it. So I wasn't sure I'd really be into what was billed as a return to pure horror tone of the original.

What I found was a much more stylish and intelligent movie than Child's Play 1. The set-up is fairly conventional, but the plot twists and character choices were inspired. For horror fans, the "kills" were really creative. The acting is mostly quite good, but the main character, Fiona Dourif, is fantastic. A lot less comedy in this than the two previous entries, but I think that was the intention, to return to the roots, and it worked for me: creepy, scary, and fun. Seed is still my favorite, but of the 'scary" Chuckys, this one is the best. The only thing wrong with this movie is for some reason, it isn't being shown in theaters.

This doesn't reinvent the wheel, but it's a fun, pleasant, good-natured wheel. Smart, clever and funny, with fresh twists on the typical high school underdog comedy. Tone reminds of Suburgatory or Hairspray: if you liked those, see it. If you hated them, don't.

Also like Suburgatory, really gifted young cast. It gives all the main stars loads of fun moments, and they nail them time after time. Jennifer Tilly is great and hilarious as usual, and Jim Belushi is really good too. I maybe could have gone for a bit less gross-out humor, but a couple of the gross-outs were actually funny and original. For what it was designed to be, great execution.

Sound is a little muddy in the opening moments, but then improves, so hang in there, relax, and enjoy.

The entire movie feels like the Third Act of a Sergio Leone western: tension building and Morricone-like score and visual poetry. Thematically, a brilliant examination of anxiety and its role in self-fulfilling prophecy. Dialogue is taut and dead on. All the actors shine. The director didn't allow a single false note to reach the screen. Pearce and Simmons are incredible, as are the score and cinematography. Sometimes, studios are reluctant to push a film this uncompromising in presenting so grim and poignant a vision, but any attempt to soften this or edit it for the taste of hyperactive teenage boys would have killed a perfect mood. This is really one of the best, most chilling, emotional movies I've seen in years. If you like Coen Brothers, definitely check this out.