Child's Play was a theatrical release, but, like Warlock, was released to the VHS rental market shortly after its run, where it became something of an instant classic. I believe it did fairly well in theaters, and know it did well in the rental market as the "buzz" was good, and I remember renting it to watch with my cousins and siblings not long after it had been in theaters.
It's hard for me to put into context now, as Child's Play became the template for all demonic toys movies after it was released, and there were a slew of demonic toys flicks released around the same time. Though it managed to stand-out amongst the glut, Child's Play is largely rote and unimaginative. Holland, who had a lot to do with Fright Night's success, just phones this one in and barely tries to conceal the fact.
Whenever possible, Holland simply films anything that isn't happening. It's obvious the budget was tight, and the scenes we do get of Chucky are definitely worth the wait, but by and large, Child's Play is an exercise in establishment shots and negative space. The movie doesn't even clock it at a full hour-and-a-half, leading me to believe a lot of the lingering, inactive shots were merely padding.
Holland's attempts at building suspense fall flat, though Child's Play does have an explosive reveal (which doesn't occur until nearly halfway through the film). The rest of it is needless backstory, exposition, and character development. Chris Sarandon of Fright Night returns but isn't able to summon the same brooding intensity, or audience interest, and though Catherine Hicks turns in an impressive performance, you can see she is holding back. Holland's clever camera angles provide a lot of implied action, but they are no substitute for the real action, which is all too rare.
At the time of Child's Play's release, it actually delivered, but you could clearly see the expiration date. The plot is contrived and the story and budget are absent. Sadly, there are few demonic toys movies as good as Child's Play.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
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