That's Not Child's Play

I just started watching the new Child's Play on Amazon Prime. To be honest, I'm not a big fan of the original. So, I was expecting a half decent remake of a pretty crappy movie. Instead, what I got was a very interesting twist on the original concept.

For starters, the doll is not possessed by the spirit of a criminal who used voodoo to escape justice. It's a doll with an advanced AI system. The frustrated worker who made it removed the safety protocols, so the doll can do otherwise forbidden acts. For example, swearing and... killing.

Where it gets interesting is the reflection on the life of a single mom (played by Aubrey Plaza, who I thought was awesome in Parks and Recreation). The main character, however, is the child. He starts to bond with Chucky, but the doll starts taking things too far, like killing the mom's boyfriend.

This movie is an odd mix. Some parts delve on the emotional pain of the child while other parts sound more like The Lost Boys.

The movie show a side of AI that we do not usually want to think about. That is, what safeguards need to be there to avoid an AI turning hostile, and are there ways it can be bypassed.

One last thing I'd like to point out is that Chucky is voiced by Mark Hamill. He does a great job. With his voice acting and the CGI, you feel sympathy for the little guy. Although he gets really creepy in the second half of the movie. This Chucky is much scarier and believable than the original.

I found this movie very interesting but a bit dark. I was positively surprised by this movie. It was a good watch and I strongly recommend it.