When Play Land Toys accidentally resurrects Chucky,
he once again sets out after Andy to finish what he started. HORROR
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Child's Play 2 (1990)Directed by John Lafia
Written by Don Mancini Starring Brad Dourif, Alex Vincent, Christine Elise, Jenny Agutter, Gerrit Graham Sequel to 1988's Child's Play |
Sequels, especially horror, tend to not be nearly as good as the original. They either just rehash the first movie or fail to capitalize on anything that made the original work. I’m happy to report this is not the case with Child’s Play 2. Long considered to be a fan favorite among many, this sequel sees the filmmakers do everything right in the creation of a sequel. A continuation of the story which makes sense, bigger and better kills/gore, and the man himself, Chucky. This is the rare sequel that does what it’s supposed to do; be as good or better than the original. If only we could get more follow up films like this one.
Child’s Play 2 sees our favorite killer doll once again going after his friend until the end, Andy, who is also now in a foster home. While the plot may be the same as the original, the movie wisely ups everything else. And, as mentioned earlier, one of those things is Chucky himself. Brad Dourif continues to shine in the role. He is given a lot more lines and jokes to play with this time around. Dourif clearly enjoys the role. Along with the jokes and dialogue comes even more elaborate kills. Child’s Play 2 features some of my more favorite kills from the franchise. From death by ruler to the fake eyeballs, this one has it all. Finally, keep your eyes peeled for two actresses from other iconic horror movies/shows. It’s a nice little treat. They don’t make many sequels quite like this one. Taking what worked in the original film and increasing it for this one proved to be a winning formula. Now, considered one of the best sequels and a favorite among fans, Child’s Play 2 has achieved quite the status in the horror community. And rightfully so. This isn’t just a great sequel, it’s a great horror movie in general. |
Picking up after the events of the first film, Chucky’s “corpse” is taken back by the doll’s manufacturer, Play Land Toys, and reassembled in an opening scene reminiscent of Frankenstein, complete with electrodes to the neck and lightning bolt. We see that Chucky (voiced by Brad Dourif) is still alive and resumes his mission to steal the body of Andy Barclay (once again played by Alex Vincent). I remember this film and part 3 more better than the first Child’s Play because I saw them first. The killer doll coming in the night really spooked me as a kid because my cousin had a My Buddy doll which were eerily similar to Chucky.
The aftermath of their first encounter has left Andy in foster care and his mother, Karen, in an asylum. His is adopted by Phil and Joann Simpson (Jenny Agutter of An American Werewolf in London) where he meets their teenage foster daughter, Kyle (Christine Elise). Andy is struggling to adjust to this new life that’s been forced on him and he recoils in terror when he stumbles on a Good Guy doll in his room, but it’s not Chucky. Yet. It’s more of the same as far as the plot goes but the ante is raised by Mancini and the body count is doubled. Chucky is still terrorizing Andy and turning the adults against him. Brad Dourif really starts to hit his stride with Chucky, blending clever dialogue with brutal ferocity. Everyone in Andy’s life isn't safe from Chucky’s wrath including his school teacher who is put to death by "ruler fu." He even eliminates his competition, the other Good Guy doll so he will be closer to Andy. The showdown takes place at the Good Guy factory coming full circle from the beginning. Andy is more assertive this time around and together with Kyle they put Chucky away in astonishingly gory fashion. This is one of those sequels that is just as good as the original and definitely earns its place as a classic in the franchise. You really can’t keep a Good Guy down. |