Halloween is right around the corner, and what better thing to do then t review the latest horror film hitting the silver screen. Wait? There aren't any new horror in theaters. What kind of Halloween season is this? Well be that as it may, I suppose the next best thing to do is see what hitting the shelves; and there just so happens be a particular horror name hitting dvd/blu-ray front.
This icon has not been seen since 2004, but the killer doll Chucky lives again in the direct-to-dvd film : Curse of Chucky. The studio behind the Child's Play franchise thought it would be best to reboot the series, but in the end, they decided to bring everyone's favorite killer doll to the small screen; but does this new film revitalized the 80's horror classic?
For those who are wondering, Curse of Chucky is a sequel to Seed of Chucky (don't worry, the film doesn't talk about that movie). Anyways, one day a mysterious package arrives at the door of the handicapped Nica and her mother Sara. When Sara is killed in the night, Nica's sister and her family arrive to handle Sara's affair. During their stay, Sara's daughter Alice befriends what was in the box, and that was a doll named Chucky; and where Chucky is, chaos is sure to follow.
Though this film is a direct-to-DVD, the story is a good continuation to Child's Play. My only gripe with the plot is how it is handled. The story itself is interesting, but the pacing is too quick. It felt like I was watching a short film found online. Yet, what the story lacks in pacing it makes up in intrigue. Curse of Chucky's story bring the series full circle; something I never expect to see in a movie like this.
For a horror film, Curse of Chucky was surprising in its characters and performances. Fiona Dourif certainly stole the show as Nica. Fiona played a different kind of horror protagonist, and I hope we see more of these characters in the future. The other show stealer was none other then Fiona's father, Brad Dourif, who reprises his role as Chucky. He may not have had a lot of lines; but hearing Brad as Chucky is nothing but nostalgic as the character has not lost his muster. While the rest of the cast was not as strong as the Dourifs, Curse of Chucky still has an impressive ensemble; or at least these characters had a purpose for being in this movie. It is step from what we see in so many horror films these days.
I've never been a fan of straight-to-dvd content (unless the film has DC Comics attached to it), but I have to say the quality of Curse of Chucky is worthy of the silver screen. While the cinematography is simple, it still effective capturing the horror that Child's Play was known for. Speaking of horror, while you can see most of the scares coming, there is an atmosphere to Curse of Chucky; which only helps the jump scares.
In horror film, we often looks at the scenes that frighten us. Yet in the case of this film, I think the best scene was the dinner sequence. This scene did not rely on scares, but suspense as Chucky put rat poison in the chili and you wondered who the lucky person going home dead.
While I'm not a major fan of direct-to-dvd films, I have to tip my hat to Curse of Chucky. Rather then feeling like the filmmakers were trying to get a quick buck, the movie felt like legitimate horror film worthy of the Chucky franchise. While there are some issues with the movie, Curse of Chucky is still a must see for any fan of the series.
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