Review: Child's Play (1988)
'Hi, I'm Chucky, your friend till the end.'
★★★
As children, many of us thought dolls were either cool or scary. What makes them so scary and sinister? Is it their looks? Their outfits? Their voice, if they had one? Could it be that a movie made us think dolls are scary? That's a question that has puzzled us for years.
"Child's Play (1988)" is a low-budget yet clever horror film. Much like "Halloween (1978)," even the lowest-budget horror films can work. These movies exploit fear because most of us are not aware that we carry that secret around as part of the subconscious trauma that makes life so interesting.
The film starts with Mike Norris (Chris Sarandon) chasing down Charles Lee Ray (Brad Dourif) into a toy store. Mike manages to kill Charles, but only his body, not his soul. Charles Lee Ray, or "Chucky," transfers his soul into a "Good Guy" doll. This same doll is the one Andy Barclay (Alex Vincent) wants for his birthday, as he is a fan of the show. His mother, Karen Barclay (Catherine Hicks), promises to get him the doll when she can save up enough money. Fortunately for Karen, her best friend, Maggie Peterson (Dinah Manoff), tells her that a peddler is selling one outside for a lower price. Karen buys the doll for her son, and he begins to play with it. Karen doesn't stay long with him because she has to cover for someone else's shift. Maggie ends up watching over Andy, but things start to go a bit crazy. The doll kills Maggie, but nobody believes Andy when he says the doll did it. The next day, Andy takes his doll to Eddie Caputo's (Neil Giuntoli) place. Eddie was Chucky's partner who had abandoned him at the beginning of the film. Chucky kills Eddie as well. The police still don't believe Andy, so they put him in a mental hospital for children to observe him. Karen takes the doll back with her and realizes that Andy was telling the truth. Later, Mike also believes her after almost being killed by the doll. Chucky's final target has to be Andy. According to the man who taught him the ritual, in order to live another life, a soul must be transferred into the body of the first person who knew its secret—in this case, Andy. This leads Mike, Karen, and Andy to take down the doll and kill it.
The "Chucky" doll is a great special effect in this movie. The look, the movement, the voice, and the action are just enough to scare you. Had it failed, the movie would've flopped. If this was made in the early 2000s, Chucky might've been a CGI doll, similar to how Yoda, Dobby, and Gollum were. Would Chucky work as CGI? Honestly, that is hard to say. As a puppet, it serves the purpose a lot better. As CGI, it wouldn't be believable. But that's just how I view it. The "Chucky" doll is based on a story, which is yet to be confirmed, about "Robert the Doll."
The performances are well done, even for a low-budget film. Andy and his mother, Karen, have a strong bond. They only have each other after the father passed away. Karen's reaction to Maggie's death makes perfect sense. Karen didn't seem to have anyone in her life other than her son, Andy, and her best friend, Maggie, who seemed very much like a sister. Mike and Karen also have a good relationship in this film. He comes off as cold and harsh in the beginning, but it's because he cares. When he eventually believes Andy and Karen, he starts to care for them more. And no, I'm not going to say they need to be a couple. Come on, y'all, grow up already.
Thirty-six years later, this film is still very good. It doesn't hold up too well with today's standards, but for its time, it was remarkable, and it still is.