Curse of Chucky (USA, 2013) - Color, Director(s): Don Mancini
MPAA Rating: R
[UK: 18]
Approx. 97 min.
Z-rating: 3 stars out of 5
Cheese Factor: 2 stars out of 5
"Sorry Jack... Chucky's Back!" was the tagline for Child's Play 2. Today, he's back (again) as the sixth film in the franchise hits the shelves on DVD and Blu-ray. This film was very much a return to roots for the series and Chucky even gets a fresh face for this one.
To be honest, I stayed away from trailers and reviews so I could go into this movie with no preconceptions of the film. I assumed it was a reboot of the franchise going into the film but then realized that it was a sequel. Still, at one point, it seemed like it might've even gone between Child's Play 3 and Bride of Chucky. Turns out, this just follows chronological order and is a sequel to Seed of Chucky. Don Mancini, who wrote the original screenplay and has written all the films in the franchise, directs this and the previous sequel.
At first, Chucky's face looked absolutely ridiculous to me. I couldn't believe they thought he was going to scare anyone looking like this. I don't mean that goofy idle face, I mean how he looks "evil" when he's talking as Charles Lee Ray. This is his face in the new one:
I'm not sure if I was supposed to piss my pants from fear or from laughing too hard. I'm pretty sure he's supposed to look insane and not like a little girl who cabbage-farted in your face when you were sleeping but won't tell you what that horrible smell is when you wake up. Check out his face from the original 1988 movie:
Now, that's what a psychotic doll should look like! They fix this an hour into the movie and even flesh out the backstory on Charles Lee Ray a bit. A new family gets the Chucky doll in the mail, the connection with this family is explained later in a flashback that connects to the first film. I love when a movie can tie in the storyline from previous films into the current plot. Brad Dourif returns as the voice/face of Chucky.
Nudity: None. The Child's Play franchise isn't really known for nudity. Although we do get a hottie nanny who strips down to bra and panties for a sexy webcam chat with her employer!
Gore: Decent. The kills can be gruesome at times but there's only so much a murderous doll can do. Most people aren't going to be ripped in half by a doll the size of an 7 year-old. This franchise isn't known for being splatterfests, but they're still slashers.
Awesome: Pretty awesome, especially for followers of the franchise. I don't think this one was as fun as Bride of Chucky but is still a great addition to the franchise. This is one of the more serious entries we've seen in the series since the original Child's Play movies. This really was a return to roots for the franchise, stick around after the credits for a scene that really brings the story full circle.