Child's Play (!988) 11 out of 100

Alison “Alicat” Wise submitted the following Feminist Slasher Project Investigation and Review

Alison’s history with the film:

Oddly, I have never seen the original Child’s Play but I have seen Child’s Play 3 (1991). The Child’s Play films have caused much controversy over the years and have been blamed for influencing some horrible real life crimes including the murder of James Bulger in Northern England back in 1993. There’s been four sequels…each one getting more comedic and absurd, including The Bride of Chucky (1998) and The Seed of Chucky (2004). Don Mancini, the creator of Child’s Play, is now going to be re-making the original film, making it darker and scarier. Brad Dourif is also on board to re-create his role as Chucky.

Play by Play:

*SPOILERS – BUT ONLY IF YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF CHILD’S PLAY OR CHUCKY…AND IF YOU HAVEN’T, THEN WHY ARE YOU READING THIS BLOG!?!*

There’s no messing around the action starts off with a gunfight and chase…pre-title sequence!

Charles Lee Ray is the evil serial killer, ‘The Lakeshore Strangler’, that’s on the run from handsome cop Det. Mike Norris, Chris Sarandon from Fright Night (1985). He tries hiding in a toy store. He’s shot and dying and falls into a display of ‘Good Guys’ dolls…he starts chanting and transfers his soul into the doll…CHUCKY! Lightning strikes and blows up the store! KAAAA-BOOOOOM! Charles Lee Ray is dead…or is he?

We’re now at Andy’s apartment, He loves the ‘Good Guys’! He’s wearing ‘Good Guys’ PJ’s and eating ‘Good Guys’ breakfast cereal and watching ‘Good Guys’ on television…you get the picture.

There’s a special announcement! YOU CAN NOW GET AN ACTUAL GOOD GUYS DOLL! OMG!

Of course Andy wants one! And it’s his birthday! Come on Mom!

Those dolls are $100, Jeez Louweez! Karen, Andy’s mom, buys one from some dodgy* guy in a back alley for $50.

*If you describe someone or something as dodgy, you disapprove of them because they seem rather dishonest and unreliable. (Google Dictionary)

She’s got to work late so ‘Aunt’ Maggie, played by Dinah Manoff of ‘Grease’ (1978) fame, baby-sits Andy and Chucky.

Man that doll is creepy!

Andy and Chucky are playing in front of the T.V. There’s a news report about one of Charles Lee Ray’s ‘associates’, Eddie…Chucky turns his head to watch it…Holy Crap!

It’s time for bed and Maggie carries Chucky and Andy off to his bedroom…but Chucky ‘wants to watch the 9 o’clock news’.

Maggie’s doing the dishes and hears the T.V. turn back on and Chucky’s sitting in front of it watching the news…she takes back into Andy’s room, tucks them in and says good night.

Maggie’s in the living room when a small figure runs by…is it Andy!?! Or is it Chucky!?! We all know the answer to that question and if you don’t…have you been living in a cave!?!

Oh No! Aunt Maggie look out!

Too late! She gets hit in the head with a hammer and falls out a window!

Karen returns home from work and finds the police, including foxy Det. Norris, in her apartment. Andy’s a suspect for like a minute.

By the way, there’s a creepy ass elevator in Karen and Andy’s building.

Andy’s telling mom Karen all these things that Chucky’s telling him. And Andy keeps saying that Chucky’s alive.

Next day, Andy ditches school with Chucky. Dude! That doll is almost as big as Andy! How can he carry him? Anyways, they head out to the ghetto to visit Eddie, Charles Lee Ray’s ‘associate’.

Chucky’s totally alive…duh. He runs into the house whilst Andy’s taking a leak in the vacant lot. Chucky turns the gas on the stove and blows out the pilot light…KAAA-BOOOM!

So the police think Andy did it cuz he was found nearby the blown up house…with Chucky, of course. They put him in a mental hospital because nobody believes Andy that Chucky talks to him.

Karen’s looking at the box Chucky came in, when the batteries fall out…WTF! If Chucky needs batteries, how is he talking without them!?! She believes Andy now! She threatens to throw Chucky in the fireplace and he attacks her.

Anyways, he gets away. She tries to convince the sexy Det. Norris, he doesn’t believe her at first but does when Chucky attacks him whilst he’s driving!

They go after Chucky before he can get to Andy…and there’s a weird scene with a voodoo priest. And Chucky kills a couple more people before the final climax. When heroic Det. Norris shoots him and Chucky dies…but not really because there are FOUR sequels.

Feminist Slasher Project Research:

Karen kicks butt! She is the one who figures the whole thing out…who Chucky really is and how to kill him. She confronts Chucky. She is never objectified. I actually objectified Chris Sarandon quite a bit, as you can see in my review, and who wouldn’t; he’s quite fit. So, I give ‘Child’s Play’ (1988) a Green Light. Even though Karen brings Chucky into her and Andy’s life, she’s the one who gets rid of him. I hope they don’t mess up the re-make and make Karen all stupid and lame!