As someone who never watched the original films outside of a few reviews, and having watched very little of the trailers, I went into the theater with as open a mind as possible. What I got, I actually enjoyed.
For starters, I like that the story isn't about a doll being possessed by a serial killer. Instead, Chucky is an advanced, learning child's toy that picks up some of the wrong lessons. While I admit it's a neat concept, they really don't make the message that subtle and some of the technological aspects of the film gets a bit corny, such as self-driving cars. It also doesn't shy away from gore, so if that's what you're into, chances are you won't be disappointed.
Now, when it comes to the main antagonist, Chucky, he actually starts out genuinely wanting to be Andy's friend and some of his earlier actions are just Chucky trying to protect him. It also stars Mark Hamill as the voice of Chucky and he does a great job.
The rest of the cast does a respectable job, but the characters I really liked didn't get as much screen time as I hoped. For instance, I really liked Pugg and Falyn, two kids who Andy befriends early on in the movie, forming a sort of Monster Squad team during the main climax of the movie. I really wanted to see more of their friendship evolve and maybe see Chucky become jealous of them. I also didn't really see a lot of Andy's interactions with his mother or Detective Norris, which is a shame, because they had the makings of being the most likable characters in the film.
But yeah, in the long run, this feels less of a Child's Play movie and more like a special from Black Mirror. And I'm oddly okay with that.
A Black Mirror Episode If I Ever Saw One
As someone who never watched the original films outside of a few reviews, and having watched very little of the trailers, I went into the theater with as open a mind as possible. What I got, I actually enjoyed.
For starters, I like that the story isn't about a doll being possessed by a serial killer. Instead, Chucky is an advanced, learning child's toy that picks up some of the wrong lessons. While I admit it's a neat concept, they really don't make the message that subtle and some of the technological aspects of the film gets a bit corny, such as self-driving cars. It also doesn't shy away from gore, so if that's what you're into, chances are you won't be disappointed.
Now, when it comes to the main antagonist, Chucky, he actually starts out genuinely wanting to be Andy's friend and some of his earlier actions are just Chucky trying to protect him. It also stars Mark Hamill as the voice of Chucky and he does a great job.
The rest of the cast does a respectable job, but the characters I really liked didn't get as much screen time as I hoped. For instance, I really liked Pugg and Falyn, two kids who Andy befriends early on in the movie, forming a sort of Monster Squad team during the main climax of the movie. I really wanted to see more of their friendship evolve and maybe see Chucky become jealous of them. I also didn't really see a lot of Andy's interactions with his mother or Detective Norris, which is a shame, because they had the makings of being the most likable characters in the film.
But yeah, in the long run, this feels less of a Child's Play movie and more like a special from Black Mirror. And I'm oddly okay with that.
I give it a 7/10