Childs play 2019 - "A horror, hate relationship"

Firstly, lets me start off by saying I have always been a personal fan of Chucky. From the original Child play movie and its sequels, to the reboot of the curse of chucky and the more recent child play reboot. However, remakes have often posed a problem, it takes a lot to make a remake successful and popular. David Katzenberg's Childs play (2019) does just that. Not only playing hommage to its predecessors, but creating a whole new world for the terrifying 29 inch life size, serial killer, possessed by a murderer who dabbled in black magic, the terrifying doll, Chucky.

Chucky has haunted the dreams of people since Tom Holland's 1988 Child's play, when we were first introduced to the killer doll and thus introduced to the nightmare. The franchise has seen a lot of sequels and reboots but the most recent Childs Play film shows a modern day reboot, linking the terror of Chucky to an act of altered technology. The new film see's chucky renamed to buddi and is the result of a manufacturing error caused by a distraught factory worker. Although, this takes away from the original films, it actually adds to the movie overall, creating a new experience for those who have not seen the original. Katzenberg creates a new franchise in itself which is sure to have further sequels in order to complete the storyline. In doing so, Katzenberg creates a new reimagined chucky universe for furture generations and consequenlty completes the chucky legend in a satisfying completed circuit.

Katzenberg's film takes on an explosive turn from the very beggining of the movie playing hommage to the original in its first few scenes with an offputting and terror ensuing atmosphere. The dreary weather, mixed with the unknown, goes on to create a perfectly horrorifying backstory to the creation of buddi (or chucky depending on your nostalgic viewpoint). Buddi is a new 29inch terror which enters ourlives through the form of a distraught mother, who is just trying to give her and her son a new start in their new rundown apartment. In the apartment itself we are introduced to some colourful characters who show a premise for the weird, whacky and decitefully entertaining world that is childs play.

Thankfully, with the spirit of the first childs play, Katzenberg perceptivley and correctly decides to keep our hero of the film with the same name as his predesscor. Andy, will forever be the noteable main character within the chucky universe and by keeping this little nod to the original, it brings about a whole new nostalgia to the franchise. In a way Katzenberg is carrying on the chucky legacy; as demonic and frightful as this may be, it is within reason that the chucky franchise has been rebooted. However, a first time viewer may intially look at this film as being the creation of a mad man, who would ever dare to try and revolutionise the chucky franchise with this new high tech technological, 29 inch, serial killer doll? But, it is safe to say Katzenberg does a fine job in relaying the old and the new amongst one another. The film itself has some noteable comical moments much like in the childs play 1988 version, as well as the 1988 sequels such as Bride of Chucky and seed of chucky.

From my own first time experience watching the 2019 reboot, I too had my own concerns in how, not only would this film would evolve within its newly formed plot. But also how the film would measure up again its predesscors. Thankfully, I was not disapointed and instead found myself immersed in this new lighthearted take on one of horrors most prolific 29 inch serial killers. The film also features a many gory scene and does not dumb itself down to fit into the more recent catergories of comedy horrors which have come about of late in the past decade. Instead, Katzenberg mixes horror, gore, tension and a sense of sadness for the character of buddi (chucky) which only makes us as an audience question ourselves. Why are we feeling sorry for this muderous doll? Why do we relate to his worries and try-hards to make his friend (andy) happy? And why are we so okay that this doll is now seen as a friend and not an enemy?

SPOILER ALERT!!!!

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Katzenbergs film ends with a fight off between the "buddi's" which have been automatically malfunctioned by the terrifying and sinister buddi (chucky). The battle gives us a great sense of completion and satisfaction as once again chucky is defeated, even though he had the help of some rather terrifying teddy bears. The overall battle is comical yet manages to stray away from the usual tropes regarding comic horror; such as the "new friends" happy ending, angle - which I was all to grateful for. This film is not one which should leave you feeling happy and content with your lfie. It should be a rollercoaster, one which raises questions and one which makes think "oh wait-why am I laughing at this terrifying serial killer doll as he decides to go on a murder spree..."