Dolly Dearest (1991)


REVIEWER RATING: 
5/10


Dolly Dearest is probably one of the better Child's Play ripoffs, in my opinion. I remember blind-buying the VHS growing up and being rather disappointed with the flick, but despite that I decided to revisit it when I found it for cheap on DVD (cheaper than how much the VHS was at the time). To my surprise I actually enjoyed it more now than I did when I first saw it. I suppose now that I'm older I can appreciate the cheesiness and fun factor a bit better.

The story revolves around a family that moves to Mexico, where the father hopes to start a doll-building business after purchasing an old factory. Of course the building just so happens to be conveniently placed near an ancient Mayan tomb, which unleashes a malevolent spirit of a legendary evil child into some of the left over dolls. The daughter takes one of the dolls home with her, where it slowly begins to possess the girl and starts offing some of the poor staff.

Dolly Dearest is far from a good movie, but it is an entertaining one if you can enjoy it for what it is -- a cheesy B-horror flick. Plus the doll itself can actually be rather creepy at times, which is always a plus, but there are also a couple unintentionally funny scenes (like the brief doll freakout scene that was simply hilarious) that reminds the viewer that they're still watching a B-flick. Another cool addition to the movie is the fact that there's more than one evil doll, as a few remaining dolls in the factory take on anyone who happens to be in the place overnight.

There's relatively no gore in the movie, aside from some blood splatter in a couple scenes. For what it's worth, the practical effects are also actually pretty decent for a smaller-budgeted flick. The movie's premise isn't gonna win any awards, but the acting is actually above-average compared to your standard cheesy genre fair.

In the end the movie is just another Child's Play ripoff, but a decent one at that. It's cheesy and entertaining for those who can appreciate it for what it is. As far as doll horror goes, this is one of the better additions to the sub-genre, but it's still not a specifically good one.
OVERALL: 
In the end the movie is just another Child's Play ripoff, but a decent one at that. It's cheesy and entertaining for those who can appreciate it for what it is. As far as doll horror goes, this is one of the better additions to the sub-genre, but it's still not a specifically good one.


UHM is an independently owned site that relies solely on ad revenue, so we ask that if you like this site and what we do to help support by temporarily disabling ad block (if you're using one). If you'd rather help in other ways you can also send a tip by clicking here (or the button below). Any amount helps and will go towards the costs to maintain the site. Anyone who donates will also be listed in our thanks page.