Child's Play 2019 Film Review

The original “Child’s Play” film of 1988 and the 2019 remake have their share of similarities and stark differences. The original story of a working-class mother gifting her young son Andy an unassuming murderous doll to play with continue but the backstory, location, series of events, and ending have changed.

In the beginning of the original “Child’s Play” film there is a chase between the Lakeshore Strangler Charles Lee Ray and Police Detective Mike. Charles’ partner in crime deserts him of fear of getting caught and drives away. A frustrated Charles breaks into a toy store and the chase continues. He is shot, wounded, losing blood, and fearing death. Charles vows revenge on his partner for deserting him and the detective closing in on him. In an attempt to cheat death Charles removes a Good Guy doll from a box and through a ritualistic chant transfers his soul to the doll. The 2019 remake of “Child’s Play” a daydreaming employee in a factory overseas is abused by his boss. He is told to finish assembling the Buddi doll at his workstation and then he is fired. The worker quickly finishes making the doll and removes all the safety features. The doll is shipped and makes its way to the store the working-class mother of Andy works.

The 1980s had a lot of iconic films shot in the City of Chicago and the original Child’s Play was one of them. Andy’s mother worked downtown Chicago, and the characters were seen riding the Chicago Transit Authority’s famed elevated trains. In the 2019 remake the story centers in much smaller city and Andy’s mother works at a small store. They continue to live in an apartment like the original but Andy is older.

The “Chucky” dolls of 1988 and 2019 have different personalities and are voiced by different actors. In the original film “Chucky” is a Good Guy doll and the in remake is a Buddi doll. Brad Dourif voiced the original doll in 1988 and it continues its murderous impulses through reincarnation throughout the film. Mark Hamill voices the 2019 “Chucky” but the doll has an innocence. The doll does want to be Andy’s best friend but over time the doll is corrupted by a desire to protect Andy.

“Child’s Play” of 2019 does a very good job of remaking the original with a more modern feel. The story build-up is good, as a horror film it does include several suspenseful scenes, and it does include frightening scenes of a product launch gone wrong. The remake captures the spirit of the original with an innocence but with a dark twist.