I wasn’t a huge fan of Chucky back in the day. However, the possess doll has proven himself more than able to stand the test of time. Indeed Chucky is still popular and in recent years had both a reboot and a TV series. Reviews of the former was poor and the latter mixed. But still, Chucky is obviously around to stay. SIn recent years I have re-watched the first two movies and gained a new appreciation for the character. Those were the only Child’s Play movies I had ever seen up until now. Part of that was because the third movie had poor reviews and it’s worth noting only one of the movies has gained a lower score on IMDB (Seed of Chucky). So I wasn’t expecting greatness, but perhaps I would be surprised. After all, movie quality isn’t what it used to be and what was rated badly back then may not be rated so low now.
The movie is directed by Jack Bender from a Don Mancini Script. We pick up eight years after Chucky (Voiced again by Brad Dourif) was defeat in the previous movie. After years out of the market, the Good Boy factory is opened up again. While clearing out the debris a drop of Chucky’s blood falls into the plastic mixing vat and thus when the first new doll comes off the line, Chucky’s soul is transferred into it. Chucky wastes little time hunting after his old nemesis Andry (Now played by Justin Whalin) and mails himself to his new address, a military school. In a twist of events, Chucky ends up being unpackaged by a young boy at the military school, Tyler (Jeremy Sylvers). Chucky realizes he can steal this kids soul instead. It’s down to Andy to try and stop him.
Hide The Soul
Child’s Play 3 is an attempt to move the franchise on from the structure of the first two movies, but it fails to really achieve this. Andy is now a teenager and that was a sensible move. The switch to a military base provides a lot of fresh opportunities too. However, Chucky is now trying to switch souls with a different little boy and that means we’re largely still repeating the first two films. This is largely the trend for this film, ideas that are not bad but are not really developed. Instead everything just gets thrown out there. This is not a long movie and the pace is pretty quick. For a slasher movie that’s not the worst idea, but it doesn’t hurt to slow things down a little now and then and get to know the characters.
While the film does feel rushed, it actually does achieve everything it needed to. We get a basic grip on all the characters, they all feel somewhat two dimensional and broad character archetypes but it’s a functional knowledge. The kills are fairly unique and Chucky provides a few humorous moments on the way. Despite that there is nothing really here that stands out as particularly memorable. Outside of Brad Dourif, the cast are pretty average. Brad of course is returning here for his third movie as Chucky and is very comfortable in the role. The cinematography has it’s moments but again, nothing stands out. The musical score is actually pretty good and I liked the frantic feel of it.
Conclusion
While this third installment in the franchise is somewhat by-the-numbers and rushed, it manages to hit all the vital notes to make the film work. The end result is a solid, but not outstanding slasher that doesn’t overstay it’s welcome. Ultimately it is exactly the kind of film you’d expect from the third installment from a horror franchise. This is a strong 5.5/10. Fans of the first two movies will probably enjoy it.
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