You might be surprised that after such a big success in Bride of Chucky, the studio waited a full six years before releasing another sequel. It wasn't from a lack of a script either for the script was written in 1999. However when you see the final product you realize why the studio waited so long...the fifth installment is a train wreck on nearly every single level.
As always we begin with the trailer. The trailer does a very good job of making trash seem appealing and slightly funny but also hints at some of the most disgustingly inappropriate scenes. The oddest thing about the trailer is that they sold it as if this was the 20th anniversary movie when in reality it was 16 years since the original film. Anniversaries aren't like math where you round up to the nearest 10, four years does make a major difference! The tagline does sell the movie but also makes people run away screaming at how disgusting it is: Get a load of Chucky! Once you realize what it's really saying it's a major turn off to this film.
Considering this film is an abomination to the franchise I will start with the good things which are miniscule. Brad Dourif is amazing as always and works the most out of a terrible script as he possibly can. The death scenes are all quite spectacular and gory in this one. I must give this film props for that. It is the goriest film and the effects not only with gore but with the dolls are at their strongest point in the franchise...and that's pretty much it. While most all of the death scenes are great not a single one of them is horrific, which is only the beginning of this movie's problems.
Seed of Chucky brings up gender identity issues, domestic violence and abuse issues, and addiction issues and deals with all of them in a joking matter. That's pretty disgusting. I know that people piss all over Twilight Breaking Dawn for bringing up abortion, but this is worse. To think that a Chucky movie could speak to someone and change their mind on gender identity issues or even make a case for it is not only laughable but insulting to it's audience. I don't think my personal opinion of gender identity issues is important here, but in the movie it's disgusting. I don't want to see that in a Chucky movie. Chucky masturbates in this movie. Ok, now that you've thrown up read that sentence again...Chucky MASTURBATES in this movie. That is the sickest thing I've probably ever seen in a horror movie...ever. Don clearly didn't understand what the audience wanted to see. I believe that Don's personal political views clouded his script to the point that it was no longer recognizable as a Chucky film. I love Don for his loyalty to Chucky our friend to the end, but this was a major mistake. Having the film be too comedic was also a mistake. Bride walked a very thin line of floss between horror comedy and a hilariously awful movie. Seed broke that line within the main title sequence when we see Chucky's semen wipe down the screen. Oddly enough, I used to really like and enjoy this one more than Bride. It didn't seem as offensive to erase Andy and add the amulet...however I was a very young and innocent boy. This was the first time that I had seen it and actually understood the movie.
One of the movie's biggest problems is erasing Chucky's motivation by the end of the movie. Having Chucky choose to remain a doll at the end is a bold choice and Brad gives a great performance in the monologue that almost sells you on that idea, but when you think about it...it falls flat. It's not as forgivable as the random amulet Chucky didn't mention for a decade. You just have to ask what was Don thinking when he wrote and directed this movie. I LOATHE Glen or Glenda. He/she is the embodiment of everything that I despise about this movie. Gender identity issues are not funny.
By the way, I did watch the theatrical cut to this movie which is kind of hard to find these days considering it's not on the blu ray collection. The theatrical cut can be found on the four film franchise collection DVD set or if you're lucky you might still be able to find the stand alone theatrical cut DVD release when the film was first put out on DVD.
Seed of Chucky premiered on November 12, 2004. On a budget of $12 million, the film grossed $24,829,644 worldwide not even making half of the previous entries gross. With such a disappointing return and the least favorite film for Chucky fans along with the changing scene of horror, it seemed highly unlikely that we would get another sequel. A remake was discussed for several years, but finally this year we got another sequel. How does the new one fair up? How does Chucky return...well, we'll discuss that next time.
Saturday, November 9, 2013
Saturday, November 2, 2013
Bride of Chucky Review
The disappointing returns for Child's Play 3 led the studio to drop the series. In 1996 a phenomenon occurred that hadn't been seen by the likes of horror since the original Friday the 13th, Scream came out and made over $100 million. In response Universal looked for what horror franchises they still owned. Chucky was a hot property for it's first two entries. Thankfully, the studio decided it was time for our favorite killer doll to return.
Producer David Kirschner saw a copy of Bride of Frankenstein on the shelf in the video store. He told Don Mancinin the series' main stay author that it would be great if they could get a bride for Chucky.
As always we begin with the trailer: I think this is an excellent trailer. It's intriguing and scary and slow at the beginning and then it's extremely fast paced once we realize that it's a Chucky movie. The tagline: Chucky Gets Lucky is also quite good and sells the more playful comedic side of the film. The poster with the two eyes one blue, one green to represent Chucky and Tiffany is not only fantastically spooky but is in itself an homage to the Scream 2 poster poking fun at that franchise. Basically, the advertising rocked for this film.
Here's the deal with Bride: as a fan of the franchise you will either ADORE or LOATHE this movie. Watching it for this analysis I adored it, but this is the first time I have ever enjoyed the film. I loathed this movie for years. Let's start with the bad this time because there's much less that's bad than that's good. The film ignores the mythology that built up over three films. There isn't even a mention of Andy who was our main character in the past three. All of a sudden there's a necklace that Chucky forgot to look for for what 10 years??? The heart of Dambala necklace is a stupid addition and is a slap to the face of the fans that stuck with the first three movies. Here's the other thing, but I'm not 100% sure of this one: I thought that in order to transfer your soul into something else, a doll, a human, you had to be alive...so after Tiffany dies, shouldn't she not be allowed to be transferred into the soul of the doll? For years, I could never get past the problems of the concept alone.
What made me enjoy the movie this time you ask? I finally saw the movie for what it was: a rebooting, rejuvenating of the Chucky franchise that was more jokey than serious. Without the previous three movie build up and the lack of continuity in this entry's mythology, it's actually a very well scripted movie. It's fun, it's edgy, it's jokey, but it still has it's elements of horror to it without it ever losing it's sense of fun. The doll sex scene is always shocking every time I watch it. The film pushed the right buttons and it totally paid off. This is something Seed will have not done correctly. Bride pushes the buttons just enough to be edgy, hilarious, and marketable to a mass audience.
The movie made a very smart decision in having Ronny Yu direct. His visual style is so striking and was just so perfect for this movie. The cop car explosion is a stand out piece as well was the thieves' death on the water bed. Brad as always is fantastic. The puppetry looks the greatest in this one out of the first four. Jennifer Tilly, I can't end this review without expressing how crucial she was in creating the tone of Bride. She was THE perfect choice.
Bride of Chucky premiered on October 16, 1998. On a budget of $25 million, the film grossed $50,671,850 worldwide making it the most successful Child's Play film to date. With the franchise's first open endings of Tiffany giving birth at the end, how would they tell the story of Chucky's child? How would Chucky and Tiffany return...and would the studio prevent them from returning again...well, we'll discuss that next time.
Producer David Kirschner saw a copy of Bride of Frankenstein on the shelf in the video store. He told Don Mancinin the series' main stay author that it would be great if they could get a bride for Chucky.
As always we begin with the trailer: I think this is an excellent trailer. It's intriguing and scary and slow at the beginning and then it's extremely fast paced once we realize that it's a Chucky movie. The tagline: Chucky Gets Lucky is also quite good and sells the more playful comedic side of the film. The poster with the two eyes one blue, one green to represent Chucky and Tiffany is not only fantastically spooky but is in itself an homage to the Scream 2 poster poking fun at that franchise. Basically, the advertising rocked for this film.
Here's the deal with Bride: as a fan of the franchise you will either ADORE or LOATHE this movie. Watching it for this analysis I adored it, but this is the first time I have ever enjoyed the film. I loathed this movie for years. Let's start with the bad this time because there's much less that's bad than that's good. The film ignores the mythology that built up over three films. There isn't even a mention of Andy who was our main character in the past three. All of a sudden there's a necklace that Chucky forgot to look for for what 10 years??? The heart of Dambala necklace is a stupid addition and is a slap to the face of the fans that stuck with the first three movies. Here's the other thing, but I'm not 100% sure of this one: I thought that in order to transfer your soul into something else, a doll, a human, you had to be alive...so after Tiffany dies, shouldn't she not be allowed to be transferred into the soul of the doll? For years, I could never get past the problems of the concept alone.
What made me enjoy the movie this time you ask? I finally saw the movie for what it was: a rebooting, rejuvenating of the Chucky franchise that was more jokey than serious. Without the previous three movie build up and the lack of continuity in this entry's mythology, it's actually a very well scripted movie. It's fun, it's edgy, it's jokey, but it still has it's elements of horror to it without it ever losing it's sense of fun. The doll sex scene is always shocking every time I watch it. The film pushed the right buttons and it totally paid off. This is something Seed will have not done correctly. Bride pushes the buttons just enough to be edgy, hilarious, and marketable to a mass audience.
The movie made a very smart decision in having Ronny Yu direct. His visual style is so striking and was just so perfect for this movie. The cop car explosion is a stand out piece as well was the thieves' death on the water bed. Brad as always is fantastic. The puppetry looks the greatest in this one out of the first four. Jennifer Tilly, I can't end this review without expressing how crucial she was in creating the tone of Bride. She was THE perfect choice.
Bride of Chucky premiered on October 16, 1998. On a budget of $25 million, the film grossed $50,671,850 worldwide making it the most successful Child's Play film to date. With the franchise's first open endings of Tiffany giving birth at the end, how would they tell the story of Chucky's child? How would Chucky and Tiffany return...and would the studio prevent them from returning again...well, we'll discuss that next time.
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