When a Child’s Play remake was announced, I, like many others, wondered – why would they do this? And then I read the plot of the movie, and again wondered – why would they do this? Then again, remakes and reboots are in style nowadays, so it probably made too much sense NOT to try and reboot Chucky with a new and modern twist – but did it work?
The plot of the film is pretty basic. There’s a company who manufactures “Buddi” dolls, and one of them has their programming messed up, and Chucky is born. It’s a modern take on the old movie, which saw Chucky possessed by the soul of a serial killer. So, a little less dark, I guess.
The doll eventually makes its way to Andy (Gabriel Bateman) whose mother Karen (Aubrey Plaza) gives it to him because she thinks he needs a friend. You probably already know where we’re going with this, and pretty predictable results ensue. The doll acts creepy, terrorizes everyone and BAM. You have your new Chucky movie updated for a new generation.
So after watching this movie, I wondered – why would they do this? They made the new Chucky design look so bad that it took me out of the movie most of the time. His mouth didn’t even sync up with his voice, and the CGI in the movie was awful as well. I understand that they had limitations with a small budget, but I mean if that’s the case and you’re going for a robotic Chucky, you probably need a higher budget. The doll also doesn’t look like a doll that any kid would want to play with in 2019, much less a 13-year-old boy.
That’s not to say that the movie doesn’t have its moments. The gore in the movie is pretty insane, so if you’re a gore enthusiast or just interested in seeing people get messed up in a horror movie, then there are some parts in this movie you’ll really enjoy. There’s also a comedy factor to it that will keep audiences entertained. Mark Hamill works as the voice of Chucky, but like I mentioned earlier, the design of the new doll is just far too distracting.
So, does the movie work? It might for some people, and it might not for others. The best way to describe it would be – If you’re looking for a B horror movie with intense gore and comedic elements, then this might be for you. If you’re expecting a Chucky movie in line with the other films in the franchise that came before this, then Child’s Play 2019 isn’t for you. I happened to be looking for the latter.