Rating: 4/5
Hooptober 3.0 | 7/31 | Franchise 7/7
Rachel debates the Second Amendment with Andy Barclay. They’re on a date that turns south when Rachel learns Andy has a couple.
— I just want to be able to protect myself. — From what, exactly?
Andy returns home to his remote cabin. Taxidermy animals and antlers line the walls. In the living room, a locked gun case stocked with several guns: pistols, rifles, shotguns, you name it. Behind a graduation diploma from the Kent Military Academy is a safe. Inside is Chucky’s decapitated head. Andy pulls the head out, lights a joint, and undoes the gag. Chucky asks for a drag and Andy relents. Chucky fucks around, and Andy helps him find out by blowtorching Chucky’s face.
Sometimes, it's nice hanging out on a Friday night with your best friend.
The opening credits, which feel like a TV show (foreshadowing?), summarize Nica’s conviction and sentencing to a mental hospital. We cut to Nica receiving electroshock treatment. A therapist goes over the details of the murders with her.
— The murders were real, you know that. But Chucky never was. — He was a mask I wore so I could go on looking in the mirror so I could live with myself.
Because of Nica’s progress, they moved her to a medium-security psychiatric hospital, which allows her more free rein and visitors. During a group therapy session, the doctor introduces a Good Guy doll named Chucky — a purchase from Hot Topic.
Later, Tiffany Valentine comes to see Nica. Tiffany has acted as Alice’s legal guardian since Chucky killed her parents. She tells Nica that Alice is dead and gives Nica a Good Guy doll, claiming it was a gift from Alice.
— Has anyone ever told you that you look exactly like Jennifer Tilly? — Yeah, I get that a lot.
That makes two Chucky dolls at the hospital. But Andy has the real Chucky’s head locked away. How are the other Chuckys being brought to life?
The concept of multiple Chucky dolls was something that Mancini wanted to introduce in Child’s Play 3. Budget limitations forced him to abandon the idea for the simpler rehash of that movie.
The movie contains multiple in-jokes for fans — for example, a throwaway line about the difference between mass murderers versus multiple murderers.
With so much material to play with, the movie moves effortlessly between its set pieces. This film brings some comedy back, but not in the predominant tone the way it was in Bride and Seed. The kills are creative and brutal. Mancini worked on Hannibal, and it shows — he even throws in a brief mention as Chucky laments its cancellation.
I wasn’t planning on checking out the Chucky TV show. But I’m invested! Over a week, I went from Chucky skeptic to Chucky die-hard.