The ‘90s often get a bad rap with horror fans. After the numerous successful slashers and creature effects films of the ’80s, the ‘90s offered a different variety of horror fare. Though there were plenty of hits, hidden gems, and misunderstood classics, the ‘90s usually don’t get the kind of love that other decades get when it comes to horror. It’s time to change that.
Time to confess something that might cause me to lose some horror cred…
I’ve never been that crazy about Child’s Play.
Don’t get me wrong. The 1988 killer doll movie is by no means a bad flick. It’s got tight direction, solid performances, and impressive special effects. My main gripe with Child’s Play has always been that the opening of the film makes a lot of the movie’s attempts at mystery a touch inert. We know it’s a killer doll flick, and the time it takes for the movie to really let loose as such is a tad tedious.
But, maybe my feelings for the original Child’s Play have always been colored by Child’s Play 2. Because Child’s Play 2 is downright phenomenal.
Thanks to the success of the first film, creator/screenwriter Don Mancini is allowed to go full tilt with the premise. Chucky is rebuilt and ready to track down Andy (Alex Vincent) in order to claim his body through some of that sweet voodoo magic.
Right from the opening titles, Child’s Play 2 feels bolder and bigger than its predecessor. The reconstruction of Chucky is shot with such twisted admiration for the character. Director Jon Lafia loves the psychotic plaything and every shot of Chucky in this flick feels iconic. Now that we know Chucky is out in the open, there is no attempt to hide the monster. Instead, Lafia wants to show off the improved effects by Kevin Yagher and his crew. And boy howdy, the effects in Child’s Play 2 are dynamite. Every animatronic emotes and the dolls altogether stop feeling like puppets. In the sequel, Chucky is a full-blown character in ways that the original film just couldn’t achieve due to technological limitations.
However, Chucky wouldn’t be who he is without an all-timer vocal performance from Brad Dourif. Dourif was an enormous part of why Chucky worked so well in Child’s Play, and the sequel allows him to go even wilder with the character. He relishes every line with such evil delight, and since the movie isn’t hindered by having to play coy with the character, Dourif is allowed to get a lot more time as Chucky. It’s this prominence and fun with the character that takes Chucky from being a one-off villain to a true franchise horror movie icon.
Plus, the rest of the cast is more than game for this second outing. Alex Vincent turns in his best performance as Andy in Child’s Play 2. Now that he knows Chucky is evil and alive, he has a more tragic role to play and he does it well. And the addition of his new foster sister Kyle, played to perfection by Christine Elise, gives Andy a different dynamic as well. Elise is perfect as the rebellious Kyle, and the relationship she builds with Andy gives the movie a genuine heart. Add to the mix genre stalwarts like Jenny Agutter, Gerrit Graham, Beth Grant, and Grace Zabriskie and the small but formidable cast delivers the goods.
But I have to return to the effects and the production polish of Child’s Play 2 because they are a high watermark for the franchise and the decade. The climax takes place in a Good Guys factory and it’s one of the best horror climaxes of the ‘90s. Chucky is torn apart and mangled in so many gleeful and gory ways and he keeps coming back! Even after Kyle and Andy melt him with molten plastic, he’s still kicking! They have to blow him up and oh, how I could watch that explosion on a loop for the rest of my life. It’s just… [chef’s kiss]
Child’s Play 2 is a perfect example of what a horror sequel should be. It ups the budget, spends the money in the right places, enhances our fascination with the villain, and delivers everything that made the original work while giving you something more that you didn’t expect. It’s possible that Child’s Play 2 is the best in the entire Chucky series (there’s another contender that might make its way to this column), but there is no doubt that Child’s Play 2 is a fantastic horror movie and a must-see entry for ‘90s horror.
