Child’s Play disposable, yet undeniably enjoyable horror flick

Be aware that while the Child’s Play body count is moderate, the methods used to rack up that number are enough to make a butcher turn vegan.

Child's Play. Picture: AP

Firstly, some (haunted) housekeeping — Child’s Play is not a remake, reboot nor reimagining of the 1989 horror thriller of the same name.

No, this is a reincarnation. The summoning of an evil little figure many of us secretly hoped would never be freed from his toybox tomb.

We are speaking, of course, about the one and only Chucky, the deranged doll with a temperament that makes Pennywise the clown of It infamy look like a reasonable, well-balanced kinda dude.

In a production most horror fans will find eminently disposable, yet undeniably enjoyable, the Chuckster is still as old-fashioned a demented doll as ever, but for a thoroughly modern reason.

Chucky is back for a reincarnation. Picture: AP

This Chucky, you see, is now a ‘smart toy’, an internet-connected plaything designed to befriend and babysit kids at the same time. What could possibly go wrong with that kind of arrangement?

Well, once a disgruntled programmer removes a few lines of Chucky’s code, just about everything.

At this point, it should be mentioned that the new voice of Chucky is provided by none other than Star Wars icon Mark Hamill.

The veteran actor supplies some high-quality vocalising for the character, truth be known. It is because of Hamill — in conjunction with a few minor modifications to the Chucky backstory that cannot be mentioned here — that an empathy miraculously develops between the audience and the diminutive villain.

As for plotting, a little is made to go quite a long way here.

The only vital intel worth knowing is that Chucky is acquired as a bargain-priced gift by a struggling single mother (Aubrey Plaza) for her young and often neglected son (Gabriel Bateman).

The Child’s Play body count is moderate but the methods are enough to make a butcher turn vegan.

If anything, Chucky is both loyal to, and protective of, his new owner in a way that starts out as rather endearing.

However, that bung software inside Chucky will also take those hardwired instincts way too far.

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Especially since Chucky is capable of uploading pure malice into the cloud and having other smart devices do his bidding.

Be aware that while the Child’s Play body count is moderate, the methods used to rack up that number are enough to make a butcher turn vegan.

CHILD’S PLAY (MA15+)

Director: Lars Klevberg (Polaroid)

Starring: Aubrey Plaza, Mark Hamill, Gabriel Bateman, Brian Tyree Henry, Tim Matheson.

Rating: ***

A living doll, back from the dead

For all things movies, follow Leigh on Twitter @leighpaatsch