Child's Play

November. 09,1988      R
Rating:
6.7
Trailer Synopsis Cast

An innocent-looking doll is inhabited by the soul of a serial killer who refuses to die.

Catherine Hicks as  Karen Barclay
Chris Sarandon as  Mike Norris
Alex Vincent as  Andy Barclay
Brad Dourif as  Chucky (voice) / Charles Lee Ray
Dinah Manoff as  Maggie Peterson
Tommy Swerdlow as  Jack Santos
Jack Colvin as  Dr. Ardmore
Neil Giuntoli as  Eddie Caputo
Juan Ramírez as  Peddler
Alan Wilder as  Mr. Criswell

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Reviews

Karry
1988/11/09

Best movie of this year hands down!

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Lovesusti
1988/11/10

The Worst Film Ever

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Fairaher
1988/11/11

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

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Aubrey Hackett
1988/11/12

While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

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CinemaClown
1988/11/13

Notorious for bringing on screen a creepy doll who has since become a staple of pop culture, Child's Play is no doubt cheesy & over-the-top but there's a fun vibe to it that makes it somewhat entertaining while its originality & practical effects are still noteworthy.The story concerns a single mother who gifts her son a much sought-after doll for his birthday. Unbeknownst to her, the doll happens to be possessed by the soul of a serial killer. And so when her son is framed for murders committed by the doll, she decides to get to the truth of it all.Directed by Tom Holland, the premise is absolutely ludicrous yet it works to quite an extent. Holland keeps the plot moving at all times, managing to create a few genuinely thrilling & exciting moments, even if many of the scenes are laughable or appear severely dated today.What benefits the movie, despite its bonkers storyline, is its emphasis on creating an atmosphere that reeks of suspense and more often than not, Holland gets it right with proper build up & execution. Camerawork is energetic, pacing is good, and the animatronics is truly impressive.The plot is very thin though, barely serviceable, and characters don't carry enough meat on their arcs either. Chucky still makes up for an interesting villain no doubt although that kid is downright terrible and his performance is cringeworthy. But he isn't the only one, for pretty much the entire cast is awful in their given roles.On an overall scale, Child's Play is marred with numerous shortcomings but there is something about it that makes you wanna sit back and enjoy the ridiculousness of it all. Several effects may look cartoonish today but there's an identity to it that has helped the film maintain its footing in the genre over the years. It's campy but it's also clever in brief doses.

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Dalbert Pringle
1988/11/14

Favourite Movie Quote: "Hidey-Ho!" Could Child's Play really be a dire message, warning parents about caving into their child's demands, while (at the same time) trying to save themselves a few lousy bucks on the price of a toy?.... I don't know. Maybe it's so.When it comes to the movies (and, yes, the genre of horror, in particular), it sure seems to me that there's definitely nothing new under the sun.A doll (or dummy) taking on a life of its own and then committing unspeakable acts of mayhem and murder goes all the way back to 1945 with Dead Of Night. In this first-rate, supernatural Thriller, Hugo, a ventriloquist's dummy, starts giving its owner/operator some pretty tall orders, which inevitably leads to some mighty deadly business before the show is over.Anyway - As horror movies, in general, go, Child's Play's two assets (the things that kept it from sinking down into the "fright flick" dregs) were its devilishly clever manipulations of the "Chucky" doll, and its overall snarky and, often times, wicked sense of humour.All-in-all (in spite of its obvious flaws) - Child's Play was a fairly fun horror flick that actually managed to pack a considerable-sized wallop and even score itself some genuine points (in my books) for, at least, trying to be original.

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KillerRomance
1988/11/15

I submitted a review on this movie over a decade ago under the username Cadillac_ghost titled "Chucky is made of extra cool nightmares on wax" A lot has happened since then and here is a fresh one. I wrote many reviews on this movie because it never fails to be the ultimate classic that will go down in history as the clever unforgettable supernatural suspense chiller. It is ideal if you are not into gore but more into the creepiness. The parents at the time secretly love this flick so their child would calm their greed for toys.I saw the commercials of the very first Child's play Movie and I remember them completely - the stunning special effects of the doll creeping with the mechanical head turning right around and the isolated kid, was later called Andy hollering for his Mother. I was nine years old at that time. I saw that movie on tape at 13 many years ago (under aged- naughty me!!) but could not wait to see it. Chucky was now the first Boogyman I ever watched. Brad Dourif whom I known from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's nest, Blue Velvet, Fatal Beauty, Dune and many countless films as I got older- he is one of the most finest performers I have ever seen, with his magnetic charisma and those huge wildly intense blue eyes to match, he is crazy handsome in this movie, and his outburst rage that even real life Serial Murderers exhibit is brilliant. Dourif hits the big time as Charles 'chucky' Lee Ray, the Voodoo practising Serial killer of Chicago who was gunned down in a toy store by bewildered Detective Norris (Sarandon)and betrayed by his partner-in-crime Eddie Caputo. Charles made a promise that he will get revenge on the ones that 'done him in' and found a Good Guy doll to exchange his soul whispered a Voodoo incantation in the name of 'Damballah Wedo' (a west African, and Haitian Snake God), lighting struck the toy shop and the police found Ray dead - bet they thought it was over and celebrated by munching on Bear claws and donuts collections- RIGHT? Nope Wrong. In comes along little Andy Barclay - sweet Darling' angel, but he whines about wanting the latest craze - em yes! you guessed it - and you know that he is gonna get what he wants alright! unfortunately Karen Barclay (Hicks) buys the 'special' doll at cheapo bargain from a Homeless Guy. At least she does not have to worry about batteries because the doll is 'more alive' than expected, with a diminutive height and Brad Dourif's inimitable Booming voice. And ratty Auntie Maggie (Peterson) gets it, and takes a dive from the forty storey building. and then it is Eddie's turn to be shish kabab in a exploding House! The body counts are rising, and the truth about Charles Lee Ray is mounting but more unbelievers are added to the equation. Until they see Chucky 'is alive' and eat their words (or die so to speak). It is a Scary movie, with great scenes of Chicago, and Chucky has a vehement vengeance and will not stop at nothing with its perished body ashed from flames and blue eyes peering out creeping towards Andy makes you feel like a kid wanting to cry out to your Ma. what a Nightmarish Film - unmissable, this cool movie deserves praise. I don't care what people say. Kids are still talking about Chucky even until this day and are thrilled with enthusiasm about this movie. I gave the movie 8/10 because I wanted to see 7 minutes more of Brad Dourif and voodooism but all this came in curse of Chucky and I am satisfied.I love Chucky and I can't wait to see more of him in the upcoming sequel Cult of Chucky

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Michael_Elliott
1988/11/16

Child's Play (1988) *** (out of 4)A single mother (Catherine Hicks) buys her son Andy (Alex Vincent) a Good Guy doll. Chucky becomes the young kid's best friend but after a few bizarre things happening the kid is convinced that the doll is alive. The mother doesn't believe him at first but soon she realizes the truth but she can't convince the police detective (Chris Sarandon) that the doll is alive and killing.CHILD'S PLAY certainly wasn't the first movie to deal with killer dolls but there's no question that it has become the best known and most loved. It's really amazing how well the film has held up after nearly thirty-years and it's clear that there's no slowing down as the series continues to get sequels. With that said, as good as some of the sequels are, they can't compare to the original film, which had Chucky being one evil maniac.The film works on many levels but the best thing about it is that it goes against the majority of the slasher films that were out around this time. Instead of just trying to come up with creative kills, this film instead plays out like a thriller and on this level it works. The story of the single mother and her son is a great set-up and this really adds to the drama. Even better is the relationship between the cop and the mother as this added even more drama that plays itself out well against the horror elements. Then you've got a great killer in the Chucky doll but there's also the entire story dealing with the serial killer played by Brad Dourif.The special effects are also another major plus and especially how perfectly blended the mechanical Chucky was as well as the moments where he's being played by an actor. THe film manages to have some nice suspense and is certainly very well directed by Tom Holland. The film is certainly one of the better horror films from the later day slasher era.

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