Review: ‘Curse of Chucky’ a Surprisingly Good Late Entry to the Franchise

Baffled I may be, but faced with the fear of an oncoming attack by all thirty-six inches of Chucky—the Good Guys doll possessed by serial killer Charles Ray—I’d simply kick the doll over. Or even pick it up and throw it. Hell, maybe I’d even really take a wild left turn and lock it in a closet! You can take literally one of any million options when trying to evade a killer doll! Like it shouldn’t be this hard! Still somehow, this miniature monster survived through five sometimes scary, mostly campy adventures with the sole goal of being “your best friend til the end.” And yeah, killing everyone in sight.

By time we come to the sixth stop all aboard the Chucky train, we find ourselves at “Curse of Chucky.” The 2013 six-peat is sloppy. It’s inconceivable. It’s illogical. And goddamn it’s glorious. Forgive my prior ragging, but by the time Chucky shows up at Nica’s house, I. Am. Sold! Let’s be honest: when watching horror movies, I’m always rooting for the underdog. Never in the history of cinema have the odds been more stacked against an antagonist than those against Chucky. But somehow, still, despite it all, he finds a way to persevere.

The cast is killer in this meta take on the reinvention of the franchise. Voice of Chucky, Mr. Brad Dourif is back. And so is his daughter, Fiona Dourif in an absolute killer role. Forget scream queen. Screen queen. She slays in her breakout role taking the place of former series protagonist Andy. OH! And speaking of Andy. You’ll want to stick around for the post-credits because there is a banger of a surprise.

The kills aren’t as inventive as those by Jason, nor is Chuck as overpowering as Michael Myers; but here in “Curse of Chucky” he is every bit as sharp and sarcastic as Freddy; just a third the size.

“Curse of Chucky” reinvented the franchise for a new generation and for as good as this bad boy is, it ain’t got nothing on its follow up. When you see how other franchises have gone on and on simply to destroy their legacy and embarrass all involved (looking at you “Hellraiser“) it is refreshing to see the “Child’s Play” franchise land a finish this good this late into its existence.