Child’s Play is a 1988 American supernatural horror film directed by Tom Holland (Rock Paper Dead; Twisted Tales; Thinner; Fright Night) from a screenplay by Don Mancini, who went on to write six sequels, directing three of them. The movie stars Catherine Hicks, Chris Sarandon, Alex Vincent and Brad Dourif.
The official taglines were “You’ll wish it was only make-believe” and “Something’s moved in with the Barclay family, and so has terror.” The plot was inspired by the story of Robert the Doll, which was supposedly possessed by evil spirits.
With a budget of $9 million, the film took $44,196,684 at the box office worldwide, even before massive video rentals ensured that it developed a cult following. In the Child’s Play series it was the only one released by MGM/UA, as the rights to the series were sold to Universal in 1990, right before production started on Child’s Play 2.
Subsequent sequels were Child’s Play 3; Bride of Chucky; Seed of Chucky; Curse of Chucky and Cult of Chucky. A TV series is in development for the Syfy channel, to be aired in 2020.
In 2019, Child’s Play was remade by MGM/Orion Pictures, although none of the original filmmakers was involved.
Plot:
Gunned down by Detective Mike Norris (Chris Sarandon), dying murderer Charles Lee Ray (Brad Dourif) uses black magic to put his soul inside a doll named Chucky — which Karen Barclay (Catherine Hicks) then buys for her young son, Andy (Alex Vincent).
When Chucky kills Andy’s babysitter, the boy realises the doll is alive and tries to warn people, but he’s institutionalised. Now Karen must convince the detective of the murderous doll’s intentions before Andy becomes Chucky’s next victim…
Reviews:
“Technically this one doesn’t disappoint. Sure it’s a bit dated, but with the decades to pass comes a certain nostalgic charm that intoxicates. This movie looks and feels like the best of ‘80s horror and it’s difficult to deny that. Solid acting, direction and screenwriting go a long way.” Addicted to Horror Movies
“It has some slow points once Chucky is introduced because you just want more Chucky. The scene in which Catherine Hicks’ character discovers Chucky is alive is a classic and still a great jump. Much like Freddy Krueger in A Nightmare on Elm Street, Child’s Play’s ability to balance humor and horror with Chucky is great.” Basement Rejects
” …the basic premise of Child’s Play is undeniably “preposterous”, but perhaps for that very reason the film has attained a cult status. The Child’s Play franchise may have ultimately tipped more toward the humor than the horror side of things, but the first film, while silly and probably unintentionally funny at times, packs occasional startles and offers an undeniably creepy mood.” Blu-ray.com
“The visual effects are still pretty solid after all this time, using a combination of puppets and a little person in costume. In fact, the entire package, including the acting, is top-notch. The great, rat-faced character actor Dourif only appears onscreen for a brief time, and then only gets to speak during the climax, but he’s a major part of the film’s success.” Combustible Celluloid
“Mr. Holland treats his audience intelligently. You don’t believe in killer dolls, he suggests, and neither do the perfectly reasonable people in this film; it’s all a game. He creates an artifice with just a tiny chink to admit true horror: the most reasonable people on the screen believe in the living, murderous doll.” The New York Times
“Child’s Play is better than the average False Alarm movie because it is well made, contains effective performances, and has succeeded in creating a truly malevolent doll. Chucky is one mean SOB. The movie also has an intriguing plot device, which is that nobody, of course, will believe that the doll is alive.” Roger Ebert
“Child’s Play has that typical, late ’80s wisecracking, smartass attitude that dumbed down audiences seem to love. Yes, we’re being too highbrow here. But if the primary objective of a horror film is to scare, Child’s Play proved ineffectual for us: it’s blustery, gassy comedy that might thrill, but it never truly chills.” The Terror Trap
“While some of the supernatural stuff about witch-doctors and Mojo dolls is a bit daft, Holland’s sure handling of the suspense and shock moments lends the film a sharp and scary edge.” Nigel Floyd, Time Out Film Guide
“The best of the series mostly because Chucky isn’t so much a cartoon here and is a quite menacing children’s toy – the punchlines hadn’t quite taken over yet. Manages to build decent suspense during the first murder (the babysitter) and when Sarandon is caught in a car while Chucky’s knife plunges into his seat.” The Video Graveyard
“Once revealed, Chucky goes bananas and the subsequent effects vary from the inane and silly to the shocking, with just enough humor to keep things level. The acting is decent, with Sarandon solid and subtle as the detective, Catherine Hicks genuine as the mother and Vincent pretty believable as the 6-year old (well, he is 6).” The Washington Post
Cast and characters:
Catherine Hicks … Karen Barclay – Honeymoon from Hell; Ghost Phone: Phone Calls from the Dead; Death Valley
Chris Sarandon … Mike Norris – The Resurrected; Bordello of Blood; Fright Night; The Sentinel
Alex Vincent … Andy Barclay
Brad Dourif … Charles Lee Ray/Chucky (voice)
Dinah Manoff … Maggie Peterson
Tommy Swerdlow … Jack Santos
Jack Colvin … Dr Ardmore
Neil Giuntoli … Eddie Caputo
Juan Ramírez … Peddler
Alan Wilder … Mr Criswell
Richard Baird … News Reporter at Toy Store
Ray Oliver … Dr Death
Aaron Osborne … Orderl
Tyler Hard … Mona
Ted Liss … George
Roslyn Alexander … Lucy
Bo Kane … Male TV Newscaster
Leila Lee Olsen … Female TV Newscaster
Ed Gale … Chucky Stunt Double
For YouTube reviews, the trailer and more movie info click the page 2 link below
MOVIES & MANIA provides previews, our own film reviews and ratings, plus links to other online reviews from a wide variety of trusted sources in one handy web location. This is a genuinely independent website and we rely solely on the minor income generated by internet ads to pay for web costs and cover yet more movies. Please support us by not blocking ads. Thank you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn a very tiny amount from any qualifying purchases.