"If they don't let us play, they all go away." - Chucky
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2019
screenplay by Tyler Burton Smith
directed by Lars Klevberg
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Irritatingly, I missed it in the theater. So, sight unseen, I purchased the DVD. This is something I rarely do and the last time I did, I was painfully disappointed. (I'm still regretting you, THE BABADOOK) Besides, my undiagnosed filmic OCD compelled me to complete my CHILD'S PLAY collection.
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| My copy |
I removed the plastic wrap and opened the case. Holding my breath, I popped in the disc and clicked play. Even with my eagerness, I was still expecting an utterly tired, boring and derivative remake, like so many others. (I'm thinking of you, Rob Zombie's HALLOWEEN) What I watched was an entertaining, emotionally challenging and thought-provoking horror film.
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| Andy (Gabriel Bateman) just wants a buddy. |
Entertaining...because CHILD'S PLAY 2019 does what any good remake should do. It pays homage to the original film while doing its own thing. Other than the trailer & Mark Hamill, I went media dark with the remake, so I was truly surprised by how similar, yet how radically different the plot was to the 1988 original. Chucky, in the remake, is not a possessed doll wanting to transfer his soul into Andy. He's an A.I. with a hardcore definition of what being a friend to Andy means. Maybe my lack of knowledge added to the entertainment, so I apologize for the spoiler.
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| Andy's mom (Aubrey Plaza) has horrible gift-giving skills. |
Emotionally challenging...at least for me, because this film forced me to deal with one of my neurotic filmic issues. Ever since I was a kid, I have hated it when an animal is killed in a film. Usually it's not vital to the plot and more often than not the animal's death is treated like a joke. (I'm giving you a cold, hard stare, THE BROTHERS GRIMM) Andy has a cat and I knew it would die because, except for ALIEN and CRITTERS, the cat always dies in this kind of film. Thankfully, the death is offscreen and is not treated like a joke. After a second viewing, I concluded it was necessary to the plot. Believe me, I don't say that lightly. And yes, I'm a total hypocrite because human deaths are often treated like a joke in these films. Plus, I enjoy John Waters' PINK FLAMINGOES.
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| Chucky and Andy at play. |
Thought-provoking...because CHILD'S PLAY 2019 has a lot to say about abusive relationships, our reliance on technology and our careless, flippant, violent ways. The relationship between Andy and Chucky plays out as Chucky as the abuser and Andy, who was feeling lonely until he connected with Chucky, as the abused. He covers up and makes excuses for the doll's behavior. To make matters worse, Chucky can connect to other household appliances and use them. The doll has a lot of access and opportunity to control Andy's life. Plus, Chucky is learning from Andy by seriously watching and listening to him. Everything Andy says and does is taken very literally by the doll. It's a fascinating comment on how an outsider might view the human race.
In conclusion, a remake of a classic 1980's horror flick should not be this good, but it really is. So, manually switch on your TV or device, sit back and enjoy CHILD'S PLAY.
Thank you for reading or listening to my half-blind words.
Freak Out,
JLH
P.S. A different horror film that may make you think...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
🎃'Tis the season to be eerie...🎃
A modern take on 1950's sci-fi/horror films...
DARKENING STURGEONS
is available to read as...
a Kindle e-book
or
a blog serial
Great review, John. Honestly, this movie wasn't on my radar, because I thought (like you) this was just another soulless remake, but based on your review, I need to give this a shot. And I couldn't agree with you more about animals in movies. It's one of my biggest horror pet peeves (sorry about the pun).
ReplyDeleteThank you, Barry!
DeleteI'm still surprised how much I enjoyed this remake. It's worth watching at least once.
That was a good pun, and I'm glad to feel not alone in this. An animal's death in horror feels like a cheap scare or whatever a lot of the times.
Great review,Im not into remake, much prefer originals. However, I watched this, what hit me most, was Chucky watched Andy and his friends watching Horror, he felt(chucky) that made Andy happy and began intimating violence,(like learned behaviour) this was my perspective. I do hate animal cruelty also.Great review
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteChucky watching and interpreting Andy's behavior is west intrigued me the most.
Insightful review. I avoided seeing this because, as much as I like the idea of Mark Hamill voicing Chucky, I was put off by the advertising that portrayed Chucky as Alexa with too much power. I may need to re-think my decision.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteI hope I'm not reading more into it than is there, but I feel it's actually a good film. Plus, it's difficult to compare it with the original since they are so different.
This does sound better than I thought.. another one for the to watch pile. And I am like you.. hate seeing animals die on screen for no reason, and even hate it when those who are supposed to die in the film do.
ReplyDeleteIt's not the greatest movie ever made, but it's better than it should be.
Delete