A dying serial killer transfers his consciousness into a popular kids doll using voodoo. A struggling single mother gifts her six-year-old son the much sought-after doll for his birthday, an... Read allA dying serial killer transfers his consciousness into a popular kids doll using voodoo. A struggling single mother gifts her six-year-old son the much sought-after doll for his birthday, and the doll slowly begins to show its true colors.A dying serial killer transfers his consciousness into a popular kids doll using voodoo. A struggling single mother gifts her six-year-old son the much sought-after doll for his birthday, and the doll slowly begins to show its true colors.
- Awards
- 2 wins & 4 nominations
- Charles Lee Ray
- (voice)
- …
- Dr. Death
- (as Raymond Oliver)
- Male TV Newscaster
- (as Robert Kane)
- Female TV Newscaster
- (as Leila Hee Olsen)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaDespite their long-running collaborative effort to bring Chucky to life, voice actor Brad Dourif and special effects wizard Kevin Yagher never met in person until they were both guests at a horror convention in May 2018.
- GoofsNear the end of the movie, Chucky stabs the cop, Mike Norris, in the leg, and he falls and remains in the bedroom. Shortly after this, Chucky is shot several times by Karen, and his body parts are severed. This occurs in the living room and hallway. Mike Norris, still on the floor in the bedroom tells the backup cop who then arrives that Chuckie was shot and that his body is in pieces all over the place and to not touch any of them. It is impossible for Norris to know or to have seen any of this, as he was in the other room the entire time.
- Quotes
Karen Barclay: [she grabs Chucky] Talk to me.
[pause]
Karen Barclay: Come on, talk!
[pause]
Karen Barclay: I said, "talk to me", damn it!
[Chucky gives no answer]
Karen Barclay: All right! I'll make you talk!
[Karen grabs Chucky, lights up her fireplace and holds Chucky near the fire]
Karen Barclay: I SAID TALK TO ME, DAMN IT, OR ELSE I'M GONNA THROW YOU IN THE FIRE!
[Chucky comes alive]
Chucky: [screams] YOU STUPID BITCH, YOU FILTHY SLUT! I'LL TEACH YOU TO FUCK WITH ME!
[Chucky attacks Karen]
- Crazy creditsAt the end of the closing credits, the film's title logo is shown above the United Artists logo.
- Alternate versionsThe 1999 DVD used 1994 variant of the United Artists logo to plaster the MGM/UA Communications Co. and United Artists logos.
- ConnectionsEdited into Curse of Chucky (2013)
- SoundtracksCHUCKY'S ANIMATED THEME
Written & Produced by Mike Piccirillo
Director Tom Holland crafts this very original tale written by Don Mancini, where a dying sociopath (Brad Douriff) uses voodoo to transplant his soul to an inanimate toy. Catherine Hicks plays Karen Barclay, a single mother who gets the possessed toy for her little son Andy (Alex Vincent), not knowing what is hidden deep inside the doll.
Despite its apparent cheesiness, Holland truly creates a haunting atmosphere filled with suspense by following the trick Steven Spielberg used in "Jaws". While we know from the very beginning that the toy is haunted, we never get a glimpse of what he can do and neither does the characters; only the young Andy knows the truth, but nobody believes him.
Unlike its current MTV-inspired incarnations, "Child's Play" starts a bit slow, but suddenly it turns into a suspense-filled roller-coaster with enough thrills to keep you at the edge of the seat. Holland directions truly makes the difference between a cheap B-movie and the classy film this one has become.
Brad Dourif makes a superb job and this movie started his now-legendary career in the genre. Catherine Hicks is a very good lead character, surprisingly realistic, thanks in part to the very well-written dialog. Chris Sarandon completes the cast as the detective investigating the mysterious murders surrounding Chucky and Andy.
The movie moves at a very good pace, despite its slow start; it has that 80s feeling and it is surprisingly violent for its time (it was released when rules were turning a bit stricter). It has great special effects and a very creepy atmosphere inside it's urban landscape.
While many reviewers consider a flaw the fact that Chucky's possession is not a mystery, I believe that a lot of the suspense is in the fact that we know that, but the characters don't. It is a very well constructed film in the end, and definitely better than its current sequels. 8/10
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Language
- Also known as
- Juego de niños
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $9,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $33,244,684
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $6,583,963
- Nov 13, 1988
- Gross worldwide
- $44,196,684
- Runtime1 hour 27 minutes
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1