Curse of Chucky (2013)
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I've always been a fan of Chucky, so it saddened me a little to see the films turn into such a huge joke. I actually enjoyed the fourth to an extent, but it was the fifth installment that really killed it for me. The direction they took with Seed of Chucky was completely horrible, in my opinion. Now, nearly 10 years later we have Curse of Chucky--a sequel that was only made because Universal can't seem to move forward with the remake. I was skeptical at first, but when I heard they were making Chucky scary again I was open to the idea.
Writer Don Mancini returns to script and direct again (after Seed) and this time the story isn't specifically about Chucky trying to find a child host for his body. Instead, we follow a wheelchair-bound young woman named Nica (Fiona Dourif) who is visited by her older sister and her family after the sudden death of her mother. Coincidentally, a mysterious doll is sent to her through the mail around the same time. It's not long before bodies start piling up and Chucky's true agenda is revealed.
I have to admit that this film wasn't as terrible as I thought it'd be. In fact, it's not bad at all and quite a few steps above Seed. However, that may just be the case because I'm a big fan of the movies and this was clearly made specifically FOR the fans. Either way, I'm surprised by how much I actually enjoyed it. The story was somewhat refreshing since it was more about Chucky taking care of unfinished business that apparently occurred decades ago. Because of this we also get a bit more backstory on Charless Lee Ray himself, which is nice since the series never really divulged too much about him to begin with.
Of course the flick is not without its faults--the CG effects are noticeably bad, especially in the scenes where we get full body shots of Chucky moving. Luckily there seemed to be more practical effects usage than anything, but I still would've preferred no CG at all. Also, the pacing is a bit mixed early on, but that's to be expected since we're dealing with a darker slow-burn Chucky film (much like the first). We catch glimpses of the old Chuck as he causes a little mayhem and death in the early parts, but it's not until the hour mark that he's fully shown.
For the most part Chucky takes on the old school Good Guy doll look, but there are quite a few scenes where he just looks strange as hell, either because of the CG or because of the doll they used. It was good to see the old school look again, either way. As I said, this is made for the fans, so there are numerous nods to the past installments, especially towards the end. The surprises it throws at you at the end are really what makes it seem like a true memorable sequel and as a fan I approve.
Curse of Chucky is made for the fans and it shows in the final product. Sure, they could've done without the CG usage, but aside from that it was a pretty decent sequel and a step above the horrendous Seed of Chucky. If you love the series then give this a look.