In Spite Of A Poorly Directed Cast, Child's Play 2 Has A Sense Of Fun That Just Will Not Die.

[philosoraptor42]

Child's Play 2 (1990)

Child's Play continues the theme of ambiguity as to whether Chucky is alive or just a doll. It's a little late to do this now seeing as we all know for certain that he's alive by now, however the movie exploits the fact that there is still no one who believes Andy. (His mother is completely missing from this movie, presumably because they couldn't get Catherine Hicks back.) While we in the audience never seriously entertain the idea that Andy is the killer, we can see why no one else believes that the doll is alive.



After what happened to Chucky at the end of the last film (and seriously, he was in a really bad way by the end) clearly we needed some kind of explanation as to how he'd be in a position to go incognito again.

Turns out there's a pretty good explanation. (Perhaps moderately contrived, but I could go with it.) The company that makes the Good Guy dolls has received a lot of bad publicity from media coverage about Chucky. While nobody believes that the doll was alive, there's still questions over whether the voicebox of the doll was altered and was possibly even instructing Andy to do the killings. The whole (in this case remarkably justified) paranoia around the doll speaks to the video nasty era in which this was made. Moral panics about the effects of a toy on a child's behaviour would not seem quite so strange at the time.

A very enterprising employee at the company that makes the dolls decides to retrieve the remains of Chucky and rebuild the doll as much as possible to look as good as new. The idea is then to do quality tests on it, show that there's nothing wrong with it, and thus refute any connection between the doll and the murders surrounding Andy. It's actually not a bad plan, but when the tests begin there's a Frankenstein-esque scene where lightning shoots out of the Chucky doll and Chucky's eyes glow. Chucky is reborn!



It wasn't so long ago that I saw "Bride Of Chucky", but until re-watching the original "Child'S Play" I'd completely forgotten how central Andy is to the storyline. In any case, the early rules are a lot clearer here and Chucky is compelled to go after Andy because it's his only way to stop being a doll any more.

So begins what feels less like a serious attempt to swap souls with Andy and more of an attempt to cause Andy to be chucked out of his current foster home. All the claims that the early Child's Play movies were scary and that the comedy of Bride Of Chucky was out of place is sounding like complete and utter nonsense at this point. Child's Play is DEFINITELY a comedy. It's not such a consistently funny comedy as Bride Of Chucky, but it's certainly not what I'd consider a scary movie either. Then again, neither was the first one terribly scary (though I suppose they both have their moments).



The same boy from the first movie returns to take up the role of Andy from where he left off. He turns out to be pretty good in the role, in spite of starting out so young. He certainly does a lot better than some of the other actors here. I was particularly surprised by this when I thought that Ellen Burstyn (from "Requiem For A Dream") had played the woman in charge of the foster centre, but it seems that was actually Grace Zabriskie (the senile lady from "The Grudge" and clearly a very capable actress, but not quite Ellen Burstyn's calibre all the same). Giving a remarkably flat performance here is Jenny Agutter, who seems to be really struggling and failing to provide a convincing American accent.

Beth Grant from Donnie Darko ("sometimes I doubt your committment to Sparkle Motion!") is playing the same obnoxious figure she is so great at playing and it's actually sad that she doesn't get more screen time. In the short time she's on screen she gets to commit some of the most unethical teaching practice short of abuse, by locking Andy in a classroom on his own. Seriously dodgy, but then again this is a slasher flick and it's normal in this genre to have at least some of the victims DESERVE their fate.



A major part of the third act takes place in the Good Guy doll factory. It's a very impressive and creepy setting to bring us to, even if it's not entirely obvious WHY the action should end up there. Like with the first movie, the ending takes full advantage of Chucky's status as a villain that just WILL NOT DIE. The final confrontation goes on quite a while and yet feels properly exciting and engaging.



Child's Play 2 is hilarious and inventive. However, it's also often rather cheesy and the acting is really not great, even from actors who I know can do better. Naturally it's probably best to blame the director John Lafia whose other credits include "Chameleon 3" and the less well-known Henriksen movie "Man's Best Friend". Still I feel that Don Mancini's script with it's overall sense of fun and the effects work that is done to bring the character to life (along with Brad Dourif's awesome voice work) makes this a lot of fun and well worth checking out.

B-


Previous reviews in this series include:
The Omen
Child's Play
Omen II: Damien