After a 9 year wait, we finally have our favorite redhead doll back at it, making us wonder if Toy Story was actually something we should worry about! Chucky is back, arriving at the doorstep of a Gothic mansion, and ready to wreak havoc on anyone taller than him, i.e. everybody! The story goes deeper, but we're all watching this for the same reason; to see our beloved Good Guy go bad!
MOVIE REVIEW:
Now, being born in 1992, I was a little late to the Child's Play game, but as soon as I saw the VHS copy of the original sitting on my aunt's shelf next to the rest of her chick flicks, I knew I had to dive right in. It was one of the best decisions I made in my horror movie exploration as a child because it struck all the right chords and I was able to identify with Andy's character (once again, seeing Toy Story connections here!). 25 years since the first Child's Play film was released, and Chucky has become a horror icon. He was still getting theatrical releases until 2004, and then he suddenly vanished, making odd appearances at Halloween Horror Nights and horror film conventions across the globe, but never touching the silver screen. So, 9 years after Seed of Chucky, is this straight-to-DVD release worth your time or money?
Absolutely. I chose to watch this movie simply because Don Mancini, the director of the original, was involved, but there are so many more reasons to see it than just his name. We have decent acting for a horror film, a rooted story that will actually come as a surprise to some, and our doll, who hasn't lost any of his spunk, with Brad Dourif coming back to reprise his role as the voice of Chucky! With a sudden arrival of the doll on the doorstep of a paraplegic and her mother, things don't look too bright when the mother ends up dead and the family comes to grieve and talk options. We have a pretty steady grip on what will ensue, but this isn't a slice and dice, we are invested in this family's struggle to find answers.
Brad isn't the only Dourif in the film, as we see his daughter Fiona playing our main character Nica, the paraplegic who has just lost her mother and is now facing her sister's attempts to move her to a hospitality home. The character's involvements with each other are sparing, yet effective given the short time you have to develop anybody in a Chucky movie without planning their demise in your head. We don't need a lengthy background here, just an explanation of where each person's lives are at this current point in the Chucky timeline. But once we get a strong hold on who's who (and trust me, there are some curve balls in that department), we hand the movie over to Chucky.
The blood and gore department is not taken lightly with this film, and its severity has definitely grown darker with the franchise. While the Chucky doll does look unnatural at times compared to the older films, it doesn't make us lose attention when he's chopping the victims. I obviously won't spoil any of the kills/deaths for you on here, since that may be the very reason you watch the film this Halloween season, but you will be pleasantly surprised with how they've planned them out. A huge congrats has to go out to the set designer of the film, Anthony Stabley, and the cinematographer, Michael Marshall, as they definitely used the Gothic feel of the film to their advantage, and helped in creating the terror of the film. Clearly, Chucky has got the horror part covered.
At the end of the film, I was so pleased with how well this film actually was, and watching it made me want to go buy the set of Chucky movies to watch them all over again with a couple friends, a couple beers, and some fantastic child-horror-hood memories. There is nothing more satisfying in horror when you get to revisit a classic in the form of a well-produced sequel or re-imagining, and that is exactly what I got out of Curse of Chucky. Also, anyone who has seen this will tell you to wait after the credits of the film, and I cannot stress enough that YOU DO. It is a great treat for anyone in the series, and possibly aims at another dip into the world of Chucky. Do yourself a favor, gather up your stuffed animals and your Chucky collection, and see this film the right way. It's the perfect time of the year to have some fun with your friend 'til the end.
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