WARNING: This Article May Contain Spoilers
It has already been mentioned in a previous article, I don’t like dolls! Now, the original Child’s Play film freaked me out meaning that for a long time I avoided watching any of the sequels and was in no way inclined to watch the remake. However, for this article and I guess to see which one scares me more, I chose to watch both just to see…
Technology
I don’t just want to talk about the addition of technology into the film as a ‘reimagining’ for the story but also the technology used to create Chucky’s on-screen look but let’s start with the former. In the original film, I won’t say Charles Lee Ray uses voodoo to put himself into the ‘Good Guy’ doll but he at least casts a spell in order to do so. However, in the remake, a disgruntled factory worker takes away all of the safety precautions instilled in one of the ‘Buddi’ dolls – which is probably the result of something I wanted to talk about a little later.
It is only clear once in the remake but when Chucky moves he is actually CGI where as in the original film he is controlled by a team of puppeteers.
Good Guy Toys
I feel like there’s a not so subtle irony to Charles Lee Ray choosing the ‘Good Guy’ doll to put his spirit into – you know because he’s a bad guy! Now, in the remake the company is called ‘Buddi’ which I guess is partial reference to the fact that ‘Good Guy’ dolls are ‘your friend ‘til the end’. Truthfully the remake actually references exactly this in the ‘Buddi’ Song ¯You are my buddy, until the end, more than a buddy you’re my best friend¯
Naming Rights
I don’t understand how the ‘Buddi’ doll in the remake is so messed up that it can mishear the words ‘Han Solo’ and instead calls itself Chucky. In the original his name makes sense as ‘Chucky’ is the nickname of Charles Lee Ray who inhabits the doll.
Jump Scares
This is so annoying because in both versions I was caught out by possibly the simplest of jump scares. Especially with the remake because I actually saw it coming! So, in the original film, I got caught out when the phone rings before Chucky kills Maggie – like I said simple jump scare; typical slasher film as well. Now, in the remake the jump scare is so predictable! It’s your typical ‘see doll, close door and doll is gone. Open and then reclose the door and doll is even closer than before’. As I said, predictable and I still jumped!
Promise vs Protection
Here I want to talk about motive and about why Chucky decides to kill the people he does. Now, some people would say a promise isn’t a motive but this is the reason for him attacking Detective Mick Norris as he promised to kill him. He also promises to take revenge on Eddie Caputo for abandoning him to die. However, in the remake Chucky’s sole motivation for the havoc he causes is to protect Andy and his mum. Well, it at least starts out that way…
In Conclusion
Truthfully, both of these films are pretty good in their own way. I do and don’t like the way the remake took the corrupt AI idea but it was a nice ‘re-imagining’ of the story as they like to say. Thankfully with my advancing age, I no longer find either of them creepy but I can definitely see how the original became a franchise and the remake only continued into a TV series.
