Review of Child's Play (1988) by Kyle20Ellis — 11 Apr 2020

Everyone loves when the is or isn't he alive aspect of the movie is played out through the beginning of the movie. That thing always works for these kinds of movies and Holland is quite good at it. It's more than just a way of teasing the audience, it's a prolonged sense of foreplay because we know it's going to happen eventually, goddamn it. And it lasts just long enough to suggest it's all in the boy's imagination.

The second half is good enough. There's a sense of motion without cause to it, a couple of set pieces spontaneously set up to get to the quick hitting ending. It's too bad it doesn't have a little more fun along the way. There's a tonal break in this that's almost kind of brilliant, and very similar to Fright Night. It's all played straight until the reveal actually happens -- then it becomes preposterous and ridiculous. It's that ironic mixing of tone and plot happenstance that gives this move it's unique edge. And Brad Dourif is a big part of that.