Child's Play Review: 6 Ups & 3 Downs

Ups...

6. It's A Clever, Satirical Update Of The Original

Many fans of the series were worried when it was announced that the new movie would ditch the possessed doll plot in favour of Chucky being a "smart toy" that can interface with its owner's home via WiFi connectivity.

And while the fear was understandable, it's a surprisingly relief to report that this aspect of the film is arguably its strongest suit.

From an opening mock-advertisement for the Buddi doll onwards, the film spends a good deal of its run-time satirising how integral tech is to our everyday lives, and the ease with which a malevolent party can hijack it.

Mix in some agreeable consumerist satire and you've got a movie with far more on its mind than the original Child's Play, and while it's far from perfect, Tyler Burton Smith's script deserves praise for executing a risky premise with darkly comic panache.

A Chucky movie for the age of memes could've turned out pandering and cringe-worthy, but it thankfully feels timely and oddly believable (with a few embellishments, of course).