Child´s Play

Best friends are precious in our lives. You might have friends, but only the best friends are the ones who accept you for who you are, and enjoy being in your company. Friendship is something that will last forever, if you let it grow strong. But what if your best friend is a doll, and not a real human ? Then you might be concerned about the child, especially if you notice that the doll is not just a toy. This is something that the classic 1988 horror film Child´s Play brought up, the subject of a friendship between a young boy and a possessed doll. They story about Andy Barclay, who gets a Good Guy doll as a gift, have no idea that this specific doll carry the sould of serial killer Charles Lee Ray. The doll is called Chucky, and they become best friends, until Andy realize that this doll is no ordinary friend. Child´s Play is not only a great horror film, this film also manage to give dolls an iconic horror look like never before. Actor Brad Dourif ( who gives the voice to Chucky ) managed to make this character unique, in his own way. Chucky have since then continued the legazy with a lot of sequels, and i have to say i especially enjoyed Child´s Play 2 and Bride Of Chucky. Child´s Play 3 have some fun scenes, but the other sequels that came along after Bride Of Chucky are very divided from a quality perspective. In some ways it felt like the Chucky franchise was running out of ideas, and should take a break for a while. As most horror fans know of classic films, there will Always be sequels made as long as fans are willing to pay for tickets. So when the news came that Child´s Play was getting a remake, i was skeptical. Maybe because i am a fan of the original film, and i was worried they would not respect the source material. But when the trailer was releases, i was surprised. This did look like an interesting remake, with some new added details. And to hear legendary actor Mark Hamill as the new voice of Chucky made me curious. Is this a worthy remake to such a classic horror film, or should we bury Chucky for good inside the box he once came from ?

The multinational company Kaslan Corporation have just launched Buddi, a revolutionary line of high-tech dolls designed to be a long-life companions to their owners, Learning from their surroundings and acting accordingly. Buddi dolls can also connect to and operate other Kaslan Products. The Buddi dolls become a huge success worldwide. At a Buddi assembly factory in Vietnam, an employee is fired by his supervisor for insufficent work. In retaliation, the employee manipulates the doll by assembling all the safety protocols. The doll is prepared with other Buddi dills, to be shipped by international delivery. In Chicago, retail clerk Karen Barclay ( Aubrey Plaza ) and her 13-year-old hearing-impared son Andy Barclay ( Gabriel Bateman ) have moved to a new appartment. Karen tries to encourage Andy to try and make new friends in the neighborhood. In an attempt to cheer him up, she manage to get a Buddi dolls from work, as a gift to Andy. At first he is skeptical, but soon realise that he might enjoy the company of this robot doll, who names himself Chucky. But the more time they spend together, the sooner Andy will notice that there is something wrong with Chucky.

When you make a remake of a classic horror film, you got a lot of pressure from the fan base of the older films. I have a feeling this film will divide fans, since there are some changes with this film compared to the original film. However, i will say this, i am not disappointed. You see, i think this is quite a clever update of the original film, where Chucky is now more of a robot ( makes sense since robots are becoming more popular in homes ), and the mobile app is also a clever detail. So basically you could say that Chucky has changed, but once his damaged settings comes, out you will recognize his evil personality. Legendary actor Mark Hamill ( Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars franchise ) is the voice of Chucky, and i have to say he does a pretty good job. Chucky moves differently, and talks differently than before, but since he is a robot you can accept the changes. Teenage actor Gabriel Bateman ( who some of you might remember from the horror film Lights Out ) plays the classic character Andy Barclay, and i am impressed how well he does this character, also a bit different from the original film. Actress Aubrey Plaza ( from the wonderful independent drama comedy Safety Not Guarantee, a must see ) plays Andy´s mother Karen, and i really enjoy her performance in this film. What about the horror scenes in the new adaptation of Child´s Play, do they work ? I would have to say yes, since they have managed to find a way to adapt this version with the new version of Chucky, and still include some really brutal kills. Norwegian director Lars Kleverborg ( who directed the horror film Polariod ) have made his best film so far as a horror director. Child´s Play may not be original, but works well as an updated version of a classic film. Chucky is back, in a surprisingly effective way. Check out this film on VOD, until the Blu Ray release on September 24, i will be getting a copy myself for my Chucky collection .

Rating: DDD