Child’s Play is one of the first horror movies I remember seeing as a child, and for some reason the concept always stuck with me. I was already typically more interested in the vocal horror villains like Freddy Kreuger from Nightmare on Elm Street, so it makes sense that Chucky always stuck with me as an antagonist. However, I just always felt like there was something fascinating about the idea of a killer child’s toy, and I’m sure that definitely affected me on some level as a kid. The movie scared me as a kid, and while it doesn’t have the same effect on me as an adult, I still find it really fun to watch a movie about a killer doll.

So, Child’s Play starts off with a serial killer named Charles Lee Ray (who, fun fact, had his name derived from three famous serial killers: Charles Manson, Lee Harvey Oswald, and James Earl Ray), who is on the run from a cop. Charles runs into a toy store and gets cornered there. Realizing that he won’t make it out alive, he uses some sort of magic voodoo spell (this is the aspect of the movie that you’re going to have to suspend disbelief for) to put his conscience into one of the dolls that he sees in the toy store. He’s then killed, and some time passes. Later, a young boy named Andy asks his mom for a doll from his favorite TV show for his birthday, and so his mom picks it up for him. This doll winds up being the same doll that has the spirit of Charles Lee Ray in it, and so some strange things start happening when Andy claims that the doll is talking to him. This is all happening as strange murders are, but naturally no one is believing Andy that his Chucky doll is responsible.

It goes without saying, but the main draw here is the concept. If you’re interested in a horror movie about a killer doll, then Child’s Play is worth your time. If you have no interest in that, then I doubt you’ll enjoy the movie. Everything in the movie, like the acting and story, are fine, but it’s all in service of the premise, so if you can’t get behind that then I don’t think anything else will salvage the movie for you. Child’s Play clearly resonated with enough people, though, because it went on to become a franchise, with six sequels and a remake on the way. I don’t find the movie to be particularly scary anymore (although there are scary moments), but I do think it’s pretty fun. I think the Chucky doll has a really great personality, and so that alone makes it worth it for me. It’s not like it’s one of the all-time best horror movies or anything, but it is an enjoyable ride for anyone that does like horror movies. Chances are you already know if this movie will be up your alley, so I don’t really have to sell anyone on the idea. All I really need to say here is that Child’s Play is an entertaining movie with a fun concept, and it’s a movie that still holds up because of what it does with its premise.

4/5