This franchise has had eight movies, the 2019 one a remake/reboot, but nearly all have subpar ratings. I decided that the first and most popular entry must have something enduring about it if Hollywood keeps trying. Different people had told me that it was either scarier than other famed slasher films or just plain campy. Either could explain it.
In Chicago, after losing a police shootout, serial killer Charles Lee "Chucky" Ray (Brad Dourif) uses his voodoo training to possess a nearby robotic doll, ironically of the "Good Guys" brand. From there, he ends up as a sixth birthday present to one Andy (Alex Vincent). At first, the doll seems to do only what it should: say a few basic sentences (including stating its name), turn its head, and move its eyes. But Andy keeps denying responsibility for Chucky's apparent actions, especially when they turn deadly. Andy's mom, Karen (Catherine Hicks), begins to suspect that her son is neither lying nor insane. She appeals to Detective Norris (Chris Sarandon), incidentally the guy who shot human Chucky and thus is an intended target....
I'm somewhat relieved that Chucky doesn't kill at random like many slashers, tho he doesn't require much provocation. It also occurs to me that modern audiences would worry about him being a pedophile, given his circumstances. Well, his initial interest in Andy is limited to how the gullible boy can unwittingly assist in, or at least cover for, his murderous endeavors. Later, when Chucky learns more about the limits of voodoo, he sees little choice but to kill Andy. Not that he feels the least bit conflicted.
Offensive to the RL voodoo community? Possibly. The '80s were infamously unconcerned with that sort of thing. But Chucky's teacher (Raymond Oliver) strongly disapproves of how he applies the teachings. Perhaps it's about on the same level as The Princess and the Frog, which also has a good voodoo-practicing supporting character to attempt to counterbalance the main villain.
One thing's for sure: The spell does more than transfer a spirit into a vessel. The longer Chucky inhabits the doll, the less doll-like it gets. He is unexpectedly strong, and although his body ceases to be mere plastic and metal, it takes a pretty specific attack to kill rather than wound him. (I would've thought there was no room for a sequel, but I guess they can always tweak the premises.)
Images I'd previously seen of Chucky made him look obviously evil. I prefer his early feigned innocence for the creep factor. It helps that the doll is about the same size as Andy, and those light blue eyes are detailed enough to evoke a soul, however vile. (Personally, even in that era, I thought there was something off about dolls whose mouth movements didn't match their sounds.) Only about halfway through the movie, when Karen coerces Chucky into dropping the act, do we hear his adult voice again and plainly see him doing things beyond the doll's programming.
If the irony of Chucky not being as he seems doesn't amuse you, you might still snicker at the behavior of other characters. Among other common horror movie ineptitudes, Karen pays little mind to how unlikely Norris is to believe her outrageous claims. Andy makes himself a caricature of a complete breakfast. And then there's the sheer breadth of jerkdom beyond the villain. Karen's boss is too demanding of a single mother to be tolerated in this day and age, and I like to believe that a six-year-old can't be involuntarily committed without a parent's consent, a criminal conviction, or even a prior psychiatric evaluation. We also see a lot of lesser criminals and homeless people, but hey, it's Chicago.
The friend I watched with took more delight in picking things apart than I did. For me, it was pretty much an average fright fest. I was less disturbed by the violence itself than by the strong presence of a six-year-old in an R movie, especially when his slow speech got me seeing him as younger. Nothing to interfere with my sleep, but neither do I want my 87 minutes back.
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