Child's Play 2 (1990)

 Child's Play 2 (1990)

PLOT - Taking place just months after the original film, Andy Barclay is placed in a foster home after his mother is committed to a mental institution when the police denied her claims of Chucky the killer doll which was involved in several mysterious murders in Chicago. Wanting to put to rest any bad publicity, the toy company that made the doll decides to rebuild the original doll to end the rumor that somebody at the factory messed with the doll's voice box. Resurrected, Chucky returns and begins hunting for Andy, wanting to transfer his soul into the young boy's body before he's trapped forever.

LOWDOWN - Me and my friend Mike have slowly been trying to work our way thru my horror collection. Which to say to least is pretty massive. Last night we decided to start knocking down the Child's Play movies, yet instead of starting with the classic 1988 original, we decided to kick off this party with the over the top sequel. 

In my eyes this is how sequels should be. With a larger budget, they continued and added on to the original storyline/character and took things to newer level with amazing effects (Love Chucky getting destroyed in the factory at the end.) In fact, I'm not going to cast judgement on part III just yet until I re-watch it. It's been years since I've seen that one, but from what I remember it's a complete and utter shit show. In fact as dumb as these movies got (Seed of Chucky, I'm talking to you.) I sorta wish they just made the first two films and skipped ahead to Bride which believe it or not as shitty as it was, sorta breathed in new life into the series. I down right adore Curse Of Chucky and sorta hope if they do indeed continue with these films they sorta take a page out of how they made Curse. Nevertheless, Child's Play 2 was a HUGE highlight when supposedly horror was going down hill. Now for the most part of the 90's I'm going to have to disagree. I've ranted about this before but TONS and I mean TONS of great horror movie were released in the 90's and are all highly underrated. (Child's Play 2, Waxwork II, Man's Best Friend, Popcorn, Daddy's Girl, Nightbreed, Lord Of Illusions, Scream, ect.) This movie sorta falls in the same place as Warlock II (even tho that movie sorta had it's own different universe than the first film) Just a movie that packs more action, gore, and thrills.

Child's Play 2 doesn't try to take itself too seriously and has it's share of black comedy. I mean of course they knew they were making a horror movie about a killer redheaded doll. As much as I would have loved cutting down Chucky's little one liners, I still sorta get a kick out of it just like with Freddy. I mean honestly, even by the second film it's so over the top you have to laugh. I did like the whole 90's feel as strange as that sounds, and of course that house! One of my all time favorite lines that somehow is pretty creepy is when Andy is taken away and says to Kyle "He's still in the basement. Be careful or he'll get you too." Still gives me chills!

The deaths of course are ten times more over the top (love the factory guy getting the doll's eyes rammed in his skull, or the bitchy teacher getting exactly what she deserved. Maybe it's because I work in education, but I always laugh whenever the teacher locks Andy inside the classroom. Are you fucking kidding me? So glad she got the ruler in the end. My only main thing is I wish Chris Sarandon's character would have returned, even if they did include the cut courtroom scene in the beginning with Karen. I loved his character from the first and was a little thrown off he didn't back her story. But then again, he sorta did do the smart thing seeing that she went to the nut house. For those who have seen the extra scene at the end of the credits from Curse, they know that I was happy to hear he ended up shacking up with Karen after all. "Swoon"

With a great cast (Jenny Agutter from An American Werewolf In London), Gerrit Graham (Terrorvision), Christine Elise (ER) who of which as Kyle the older foster sister played one hell of a female lead. In fact I'm sorta stunned she's not remembered as one of the more bad ass leading ladies in horror. Shame her character didn't return. Grace Zabriskie (Twin Peaks), and of course Alex Vincent returning to his original role. I gotta give him props, for being so young he didn't act like the typical annoying child star. In fact he did a pretty downright awesome job. I understand why they aged his character but he was missed. Now tho, well...I got some stories about him. "Shutters."

And Brad Dourif doing what he does best.

Child's Play 2 indeed is one hell of a great sequel. It has a mix of nearly everything and by far has the best death or Chucky yet. In fact I noticed that Fright Rags is selling a pretty awesome box set with shirts based off the films which come in a life size Good Guy package. If I was a bigger fan of the series this would be a must for sure!

4 stars!