Out for revenge, Chucky (Brad Dourif) the killer doll infiltrates the family of a woman, her sister and her young niece.
Seed of Chucky did no service to the Chucky franchise. In fact, it near enough killed it. Thanks to some lacklustre reviews and less than exceptional box office numbers, it brought an end to the faith that distributors had in the franchise and, as a result, an end to the theatrical releases. Despite the franchise carrying on for a further two films, they were all released straight to DVD/VOD. Ultimately, this would lead to the demise of this single continuous saga from the mind of Don Mancini, as the absence from theatres means Chucky is no longer in the public eye, which means it can be remade and rebooted despite still regularly releasing new additions in the background.
It's really unfortunate because 2013's Curse of Chucky is great! Curse is as good a return-to-form as you can get.
Brad Dourif is back yet again, as the voice of the indomitable Chucky, and brings his daughter Fiona Dourif on board as the leading human protagonist. Bringing in family member in for a lead role in the sixth film in a franchise that doesn't get a theatrical release? There are so many parts of that sentence that would make you question the quality of the film, but the Dourif duo ends up being the strongest part of Curse.
Curse of Chucky feels like a throwback to the original Child's Play, in that we return back to a human-centric story, in a home environment, with POV camera shots, and return to the days of people not knowing Chucky is alive because we have an all-new human cast. The main difference is that this is 25 years after the original, and the production value is so much higher. The sets alone instils a sense of unease in the viewer before Chucky is introduced to the story. The production design is incredibly atmospheric. The colour grading, set details, and cinematography all combine to create a "haunted house" feel, and there is so much darkness and shadow, that it gives Chucky the freedom to move and breathe.
It's interesting to have the films return to the formula of keeping Chucky's nature hidden for so much of the film again, and can at times be a little frustrating as we wait for the characters to figure out what every member of the audience already knows. The character design of Chucky is a little off-putting. There is a reasoning behind the design, and it comes with Mancini's quest for continuity, but it still looks off and is a bit difficult to take seriously.
Chucky's usual comedic self is considerably toned down, and it brings back the fear, tension, and suspense that the first two Child's Play films had, with some very creative and savage (albeit unlikely) killings.
As was mentioned before Brad and Fiona Dourif were the standout performances in Curse of Chucky. Fiona's character of wheelchair-bound Nica Pierce worked brilliantly to get sympathy from the audience, as well as allowing for more uncommon additions to the set design, and an extra dimension to Chucky's violent potential. Her headstrong performance really shines, which I wish is something I could say about the rest of the cast. Chucky has some great lines of dialogue, and the brutality of the character is brought back to the forefront.
The end of the film is where everything starts to fall apart. Mancini continually tries to build upon the lore and backstory of the franchise, but he's rather hamfisted in Curse, using a large chunk at the end of the film to connect the dots, but it absolutely kills the pacing of the film. It's great to see more of Charles Lee Ray, but the bulk exposition starts to make the film feel more like one of the latter Saw films; all drama. The numerous mid and end credit scenes feel like epilogue after epilogue as Mancini tries to set up future films. Be prepared for some cameos!
Despite writing every single script for this franchise and having one continuous story, Mancini has always struggled to explain or remain consistent when it comes to the rules around Voodoo or what Chucky actually is (human or doll). Consistency seems to not factor in at all, instead, looking purely at what will look better on screen, so do expect some more inconsistencies.
Regardless of all of its faults, Curse of Chucky brings back the tension and horror that made the original Child's Play films a cult classic. Brad Dourif's slicing one-liners, creative kills, a top-notch performance from Fiona Dourif, and great set design, all come together to create a quality film that nobody would see coming. Well worth checking out.