From Voodoo to AI: A Defense of the 2019 ‘Child’s Play’ Remake

One of the most iconic moments from the original Child’s Play is when Karen Barclay (Catherine Hicks) discovers that Chucky is no ordinary doll. After finding the batteries that are supposed to be in her son’s toy, she examines it to see if it has power. It doesn’t! This means Chucky is actually alive somehow, and that her son isn’t crazy.

Ultimately, she threatens Chucky (Brad Dourif), already knowing the impossible is now real. She says, “Talk to me, damn it, or else I’m gonna throw you into the fire!” Then Chucky transforms from a mere plastic toy into a lively menace, punching, kicking, swearing at, and biting her. Then, when she drops him, he scampers off, apparently calculating that fighting her isn’t necessary for his immediate plans.

Part of the scene is the implied joke that, yes, Chucky is small, so he might have a tougher time killing people. It’s a premise that, oddly enough, the remake doesn’t noticeably capitalize on as much, as its primary humorous focal point lies elsewhere.

My Defense of the Child’s Play Remake

The 2019 remake of Child’s Play is a technology-themed horror film directed by Lars Klevberg and, yes, it is a contemporary reimagining of the 1988 film of the same name. I happen to like it, although some others don’t and were honestly never going to give it the benefit of the doubt. I agree with the Rotten Tomatoes’ critical consensus that it’s “predictably gruesome” and “generally entertaining.” It’s entertaining, just in a different way.

Let’s look at how this version of Child’s Play is similar to the original franchise. Like the original Chucky, this killer doll is mostly a city-based hunter. The story also revolves around single mother Karen Barclay (Aubrey Plaza), who gives her son, Andy (Gabriel Bateman), a seemingly innocent Buddi doll for his birthday.

However, this doll, named Chucky (voiced by Mark Hamill), is a high-tech artificial intelligence toy that can control various electronic devices in the home. Unlike the original film, this doll’s “magic” isn’t rooted in some mysterious voodoo curse. The evil here is bad programming, faulty wiring, a flawed product design, or whatever you’d wish to call it. Due to a tampering incident at the factory, Chucky’s safety protocols are disabled, turning him into a potentially murderous entity.

Humorously, this is highlighted in scenes such as when Chucky impersonates the Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 movie. Despite being a “smart” toy, he (or it) is not smart enough to distinguish fun horror movies from the unfun experience of posing actual threats to people.

How Chucky Got Like That

In some ways, the original franchise tries to capitalize on the idea of factory technicians bungling things up, but it’s not the same when the audience knows it’s actually voodoo at work, not industrial incompetence or sabotage. Child’s Play 2 (1990) has some bloody fun with Chucky offing technicians at the toy factory, but, again, it’s ultimately a different message.

In this film, when Chucky develops a violent streak and goes on a killing spree, he’s not posing a serious threat to everyone due to his own deviance but is more a direct product of being a non-tamper-proof product.

And for one more fun moment, “This is for Tupac”

Reimagined Chucky and the Killer Technology Theme

I like the original film where Chucky was possessed by the soul of a dead serial killer, and I like the 2019 version which features a doll with AI gone rogue due to a programming error. The film explores modern themes of technology and the potential dangers of AI, drawing parallels with contemporary concerns about smart devices and their vulnerabilities (of course, people are also worried about AI replacing directly manmade art — one of the main concerns during the recent writers and actors strikes in Hollywood, so a film about this is no surprise).

So, technically, this film is more in the sci-fi department than the original. Like the Terminator franchise, it’s about a potential looming war between humans and the machines they have created. What’s weird is that such concerns are shockingly valid. I have enjoyed making AI write goofy songs, but technology doesn’t just stay cute like that.

There’s an actual government surveillance program called “SKYNET” — the same name given to the AI network in the Terminator franchise. There’s no way that’s a coincidence. It’s got to be someone with a pitch black sense of humor coming up with that title. He knows the sort of paranoia and hidden anxiety that such technology is bound to inspire, as awareness of technology run amok lurks in people’s subconscious minds.

And yes, those gracefully dancing robot dog videos might be fun and quirky, but what if those robot dogs come equipped with rifles or machine guns? Not so cute anymore, is it? “Pet me or I’ll blow your fucking arm off!” The creativity potentiality easily gives way to the destructive kind, and people are legitimately concerned. In other words: There’s something to this shit, man. There just is.

Horror and Humor: Why I Shrug Off Some of Child’s Play’s (2019) Film’s Critics

The film blends horror elements with dark humor, maintaining a balance between scares and satirical commentary on consumer technology. That is the bottom line. For me, even critiques of Chucky’s imperfect look fall flat, as Chucky’s awkward appearance could easily be construed as a comment on weird-looking cutesy pop culture artifacts like Furbies, Teletubbies, and the same My Buddy dolls that the original Chucky was already parodying.

For Chucky to look a little weird or be “off” is the entire point of the character, playing on the sneaking suspicions that there’s something dark behind these product crazes. As Steve Martin once said, “Comedy is not pretty.” There has to be something uncomfortable about these dolls for them to be funny and scary at the same time.

Meanwhile, for those who argue that Child’s Play (2019) is not as impactful as the original film because AI technology can’t express any emotion… I can see that critique, but I think it falls a little flat, too. What about all those exaggeratedly emotionless killers so prominent in horror already, like Jason Voorhees and Michael Myers? Are you really telling me that slasher villains need to have souls all of a sudden? I don’t buy it.

Could There Be a Sequel?

It’s no doubt that Child’s Play (2019) received mixed reviews from critics and audiences alike. Some appreciate the fresh take on a classic horror icon, as well as Mark Hamill’s voice performance, while others feel it lacks the charm and suspense of the original. I wouldn’t say that Hamill is better at voicing Chucky than Brad Dourif or anything crazy like that, just as I wouldn’t say Mark Hamill played the best Joker (though he is definitely the best Luke Skywalker).

Child’s Play’s (2019) commentary on technology is also a point of discussion, with some viewers finding it relevant and others seeing it as forced. Still, a critic is going to criticize, and everyone’s a critic. I think there is, at least theoretically, potential for a follow-up here. The film was moderately successful at the box office, earning enough to be considered profitable but not achieving blockbuster status. As profit is not always the sole determining factor in sequel creation, who knows? Maybe there could be one at some point.

The film’s performance reflected the divided reception, appealing primarily to fans of the horror genre and those interested in modern updates to classic franchises. Child’s Play (2019) stands as an attempt to modernize a beloved horror franchise for a new generation, incorporating contemporary technological fears while paying homage to its roots. Feel free to check it out, while understanding you can actually like this one and the original at the same time. It’s possible, folks!