Title: Child’s Play
Director: Tom Holland
Writer: Don Mancini, John Lafia, Tom Holland. Story by Don Mancini
Release Date: November 9, 1988
Cast: Catherine Hicks, Chris Sarandon, Alex Vincent, Brad Dourif
Child’s Play Cliff’s Notes
A
fter purchasing her son a Good Guy doll for his birthday, a widow has to deal with the fact that her son claims the toy is alive. Oh, also, the toy is alive and possessed by the spirit of Charles Lee Ray, a vicious serial killer. Folks don’t make it.
Lecture
Child’s Play is, at least in my mind, a bit of a missed opportunity. See, the first half is a solid little horror set up. There’s a great opening scene that sets up the horror to come, we get awesome characters that are well developed and likable, and there are enough tension bits to keep us engaged. Heck, the first half of this flick is super solid and really does well with its “I’m not going to tell you he’s alive” shtick.
The problem is that the flick never really goes beyond that. Once we go farther down the rabbit hole, everything seems to be about the same. There’s some spooky goings on, no one believes it’s true, and a secondary and unlikable character gets taken out by a little person in a suit. There’s nothing wrong with that, but the film never follows through on its set up, leaving this viewer a little less than enthused.
That’s not to say that it’s all a loss. Despite the script not being perfect, the cast is solid and Holland gives a few fun horror bits. The kills are violent and cathartic. Heck, there are even a few nice gore effects. But the problem remains: there are motions and Child’s Play is going through them. There’s no suspense when it comes to the outcome, just a little mayhem on the way there. Not that I don’t love a little mayhem, but I’m hoping for more from a genre stable.
Acting
Hicks does her protective mom bit well and creates a fine character, especially as the script doesn’t always help her. Sarandon is solid as the detective on the case, though I really wished he had more to do. While I usually hate child actors, Vincent acts his heart out and I felt for the kid. Dourif is perfect in both role and voice. He’s one of horrors most consistent actors and this is no exception.
Directing
Holland does alright for the most part. His first half is very strong and pulling a Jaws with the living doll is a great idea. Alas, as the story progresses, he doesn’t quite keep up. The style and tension don’t hold quite as well and the story becomes less focused.
Script
The real power of this puppy is letting the characters really drive the first half of the show. The story lines are well balanced and everything is given a good amount of weight. Alas, once the second half hits, things don’t work as well. We get too many scenes that serve as exposition instead of continuing the story and thus the tension hits a snag.
Effects
This puppy is light on blood and gore, but that really doesn’t hurt the flick. When the goodies start, everything is done well and looks just fine. Same can’t be said for the doll effects. While the first half of the flick does alright by shooting around the doll, once the cat is out of the bag, things are a lot less groovy. There’s more than one where it is obvious that Chucky is a guy in a costume, and the puppetry isn’t quite up to snuff. The slow motion choices also don’t help here. Friday the 13th this ain’t.
Highlights
Doll under couch!
Lowlights
I know, the flick is set in the real world. But are you really going to believe that CLR is dead and gone after the shit he pulls at the toy store. There were a ton of folks in this film who treat Andy/Karen like crap because it serves the plot.
Final Thoughts
I really find Child’s Play efficient rather than super enjoyable. Everything is here and working alright, and there are a few nice touches, but this puppy just falls kind of flat for the last half.
Grade: C+
