CHILD'S PLAY (2019): A Corporate Cash-Grab With Subversive Undertones?
Horror fans are mostly numb to the unending string ofreboots and remakes that modern Hollywood pumps out but the new Child's Play managed to rise above thestatus quo and inspire some genuine controversy. For starters, the original Child's Play series never ended:screenwriter/creator Don Mancini has kept that franchise going since 1988 andis currently prepping a t.v. show version. Needless to say, he came out againstthis remake in the press and a lot of fans are inclined to agree. That said, MGMhad a rights loophole they could exploit and cranked one out. The results,while not perfect, are much better than you might expect.
The new Child'sPlay picks and chooses from the elements of the original film. You've stillgot a lonely kid hero, a plucky single mom and a doll that goes on a killingspree. However, the voodoo/serial killer elements of the Tom Holland classicare thrown out in a favor of a doll whose A.I.-style robotics go awry when theyare maliciously reprogrammed by an abused employee in the Vietnam manufacturingsweatshop of tech manufacturer Kaslan.
Said doll ends up in the home of Andy (Gabriel Bateman),an introverted kid struggling with a move to a new apartment building. Hisflighty but loving mom Karen (Aubrey Plaza) retrieves the doll, part of apopular line called "Buddi," from the return pile at her store job asa gift for the tech-obsessed Andy. He takes to it, even managing to use it to makefriends with the local kids.
Unfortunately, Chucky's programming leads him to becomeprotective to the point of homicidal acts when dealing with his "bestfriend" Andy - and even more dangerous when spurned, using hisA.I.-assisted connection to the other Kaslan-manufactured devices everywherearound him to isolate Andy and bump off interlopers. Thus, it's up to Andy to leadthe charge to stop Chucky before his whole support system is snuffed out.
This version of Child'sPlay is the rare reboot that manages to retain a lot of the appealingelements of the original - kid hero, killer doll, elaborate death setpieces -while generating a unique new vibe for the proceedings. It does this byreplacing the supernatural with the eerie yet more plausible threat of rogueA.I. This adds a new complexity toChucky's attacks by allowing him to bend other smart devices to his will. Italso gives the character new complexity, making him more of a tragic monsterwho has been manipulated by others rather than a standard-issue psycho in aplastic body.
This version also maintains the blend of humor andhorror, something necessary for a film about a killer doll. Unfortunately, writerTyler Burton Smith and director Lars Klevburg have trouble blending theseelements as skillfully as the original film did: for example, a commoncomplaint with viewers is a bit of slapsticky business involving a severed bodypart impulsively hidden in gift wrapping that gets passed around on its way tobeing disposed of. This plot thread is alittle too silly and takes up too much time as a plot point, shortchanging someof the other more interesting, sci fi-ish elements.
That said, the new Child'sPlay remains an effective little programmer. Klevburg and Smith both showan admirable sense of economy in their storytelling, giving the proceedings asturdy structure and reliable sense of drive. They're also not afraid to getgruesome when it's time for the horror, including a couple of setpiecesinvolving deadly tools that paint the screen red with surprising gusto. Theymanage a suitably bonkers finale that exploits both the sci-fi and horrorelements of the reworked premise with skill.
It also helps that Klevburg has chosen a likeable, gamecast to put through the film's funny/horrific paces. Bateman makes a likeablemisfit-kid hero, hitting both the dramatic and humorous beats with skill. Plazais given perhaps a little too much leeway to be funny here and there but shestill crafts a compelling portrait of a mom who means well but sometimes makespoor decisions. Brian Tyree Henry alsodoes likeable work in the film's inspired reworking of the cop character, whois well-integrated into the story and written to make use of the actor'scomedic chops.
Finally, it has to be mentioned that Mark Hamillprovides excellent voice work as Chucky. Filling Brad Dourif's shoes is no small task but Hamill succeeds byplaying against killer doll type in accordance with the script's"accidental villain" take on Chucky. He wisely underplays, graduallybuilding up flashes of menace as the A.I. unit goes awry. When the endingdemands it, he brings the necessary darkness in a way that reflects the skillhe's built over the years doing voice acting in cartoons. A key example is howhe handles a song built into the doll's programming, giving it differentshadings for different scenes (everything from maudlin to fiendish - stickaround for the end credits to hear a spine-tingling bonus rendition).
In short, this version of Child's Play beats the corporate cash-grab odds by taking its own dark, sometimes daring approach. On that tip, it's worth noting that the filmmakers weave in darkly funny commentary on our device-driven era by setting their tale in a disturbingly relatable world where people are becoming alienated, distracted and dominated by a one-two punch of pervasive consumer technology and insidious corporations. A film from a major corporation warning you of the dangers of corporations is likeably subversive: if that concept amuses you, there's caustic fun to be had here.