Child’s Play

It goes without saying that making a truly great film is not child's play, this film plays out true to this sentiment. When approaching this film in a 21st Century mindset on the back of global successes such as Avenger's Endgame you must bare in mind the limitations of the time and once you start thinking about these things in more depth is when you find the true beauty of child's play.

The film has above par practical and special effects even if they seem mundane by modern times. As for the horror aspect the film plays through more like Indiana Jones or some adventure film meets horror, it is less about the terrors of 'Chucky' and more about the slow buildup with full storytelling and to that I must give it credit- Where so many horrors from this period went for the slasher kills this develops a lore. However, just as this is a strength it sometimes plays as a limitation with the plot moving extremely slowly at points.

Despite potential controversies behind this franchise this film plays out quite energetically filled with more hope than despair, leaving me with a true belief that nothing awful was ever going to happen to it's protagonists. As for the antagonist once he got his wheels on and began to truly be seen/heard it was great fun and Brad Dourif did a great job, if only there were more of him.

Finally we move to the greatest surprise of the film which is the lack of a 'final girl' with Karen acting as a 'strong' and surprisingly versatile character rather than a typical 'screaming women'. The sci-fi element of the film is also highly enjoyable with the film overall being all so original for a doll comes to life flick.

Despite small problems with an open mind this film feels fresh and takes its own leisurely stroll proving that not everything has to follow the strict laws and rules of Hollywood horror in the 80's.