Child's Play 20th Birthday Edition

Rating R Formats DVD Genre horror Starring Brad Dourif, Catherine Hicks, Chris Sarandon Directed by Tom Holland Publisher MGM

Twenty years ago a little horror flick came out that scared 7 year old me to death. In much the same way as Nightmare on Elm Street made dream time a lot harder to enjoy, this movie hit very close to home, the toy chest. Up until then there was no question about it, my toys were there to protect me, they were my friends. In 1988 however, Child's Play changed all that by introducing me to Chucky, the most memorable serial killer trapped in a lovable, albeit creepy, mass marketed toy. I couldn't even rationally explain away how improbable the situation was as I had with so many other horror movies of the time, thanks to the events in the movie happening so close to home (Chicago, IL) along with the film's fictional product, the Good Guys, unfortunate similarity to real world 80's toy lines My Buddy and Kid Sister.

Obviously much has changed since the 1980's and the original Child's Play is nowhere near as terrifying as it was twenty years ago. What this recent re-release has done, however, was provide a nice bit of nostalgia and an awareness of how fun an horror flick can be, even when the franchise never takes itself too seriously. 

It's hard to believe that by now that there would be anyone still unfamiliar with the nefarious exploits of Chucky, but for the uninitiated the basic story is as follows. Serial killer Charles Lee Ray, who has become famous as the Lake Shore Strangler has been cornered and killed by the cop who had been hunting him down. Prior to dying and thanks to Ray's devoted interest in Voodoo, he transfers his soul into the nearest body he could find, that of the year's hot toy item, a Good Guy doll. Andy Barclay ends up receiving this possessed toy for his sixth birthday when his mother, barely making ends meet yet wanting her son to be happy on his birthday, buys the doll from a bum in a back alley behind her place of employment. After revealing himself to Andy and his discovery that his doll form is becoming more human the more time he spends in this diminutive body, Chucky finds that in order to get out of this toy he needs to transfer his soul into the first person he let in on the fact that he actually was more than just a Good Guy doll. 

Compared to the franchise's later sequels Child's Play is nowhere near as bloody in its execution, but in the same sense the story feels a lot more serious. As the years went on two main things have happened with the story. First the movies have become more comedy/horror than anything, understanding the silliness of the plot and the need  to poke fun at and self reference itself and the genre at the same time. Chucky has also become somewhat of a heroic villain in much the same way as Freddy Krueger in his prime. Fans of the series want to see where he'll go and who he'll kill next, knowing fair well that Chucky will never die. You just can't keep a good toy down. Hell, if Pokemon alone will never die, imagine adding the power of voodoo into the mix as well.

Packed with bonus features, including 2 commentary tracks and scene specific Chucky commentary, several new featurettes, and one vintage featurette this 20th anniversary re-release is a definate purchase for any fans of the series. It's also a great watch for any child of the 80's wanting to revisit the little Good Guy doll that kept us awake at night. In the time of constant remakes, Child's Play is one of those franchises that I wish the creators would keep the story going. Even thought I wouldn't object to seeing one, it would be a shame to waste all of Chucky's character development over the past twenty years on a potentially sub-par remake.