Film Killer AIs
So, Child's Play. For a reboot of a beloved series, I have to say, I loved it. I am by no means a Chucky fan, but I kind of like the different route they went with the killer doll. For one, the relationship between Andy and Chucky here is actually genuine instead of manipulation. That just makes the moments where Chucky's malfunctioning comes into play surprisingly sad. You actually have moments where you feel bad for Chucky because here, he was the way he was because a disgruntled worker removed the safety features from him in an act of spite towards his boss.
There are scenes that were suspenseful and the kills were pretty imaginative my favorite one being when Chucky makes mince meat out of Karen's boyfriend (who had a family already mind you) with a lawnmower, and then wraps his head around a watermelon and gives it to Andy as a present. The worst of the gore is censored, but the kills were regardless memorable. As was the final act. Mark Hamill does a good job as Chucky and goes an entirely different route here that differentiates him from Brad Dourif's Chucky. In the 2019 film, Chucky starts off as initially curious and is later driven to protect his owner through violent means. It really also serves as a small commentary on how much control technology has over our lives.
The actor who played Andy Barclay does a good job at playing the conflicted owner of the Buddi doll who slowly realizes that his doll was developing murderous tendencies. The actress that played Karen...was fine, but the relationship felt more of a big sister/little brother one. Yes, the film explains why this may seem to be the case, but I admit it's a minor nitpick. As for anything else...it's a film about a killer AI doll going on a killer spree. That's it. It's nothing Oscar-worthy, but you shouldn't go in expecting something grand. It's a call back to all of the classic slasher movies of the 80s and the soundtrack was also the best part of the film IMO. Really love how they reimagined the ending theme to the 1988 film.
Film A Black Mirror Episode If I Ever Saw One
As someone who never watched the original films outside of a few reviews, and having watched very little of the trailers, I went into the theater with as open a mind as possible. What I got, I actually enjoyed.
For starters, I like that the story isn't about a doll being possessed by a serial killer. Instead, Chucky is an advanced, learning child's toy that picks up some of the wrong lessons. While I admit it's a neat concept, they really don't make the message that subtle and some of the technological aspects of the film gets a bit corny, such as self-driving cars. It also doesn't shy away from gore, so if that's what you're into, chances are you won't be disappointed.
Now, when it comes to the main antagonist, Chucky, he actually starts out genuinely wanting to be Andy's friend and some of his earlier actions are just Chucky trying to protect him. It also stars Mark Hamill as the voice of Chucky and he does a great job.
The rest of the cast does a respectable job, but the characters I really liked didn't get as much screen time as I hoped. For instance, I really liked Pugg and Falyn, two kids who Andy befriends early on in the movie, forming a sort of Monster Squad team during the main climax of the movie. I really wanted to see more of their friendship evolve and maybe see Chucky become jealous of them. I also didn't really see a lot of Andy's interactions with his mother or Detective Norris, which is a shame, because they had the makings of being the most likable characters in the film.
But yeah, in the long run, this feels less of a Child's Play movie and more like a special from Black Mirror. And I'm oddly okay with that.
I give it a 7/10