Film Corner: Child's Play 2

Since Child's Play has been taking up residence in my head, I figured I'd keep the ball rolling and tackle Child's Play 2 (directed by Jon Lafia)! I remember this one starting off with Andy in foster care because his mother was committed for believing his "killer doll" story. So much for the two cops who also saw Chucky. ACAB!

In an attempt to save their reputation, the Good Guy Toy Company reconstruct the killer doll to prove to the public that nothing was wrong with it. In doing so, they bring the soul of serial killer Charles Lee Ray. Will Andy escape, or will Chucky succeed in possessing his body? Considering how many movies this franchise has... No? Andy will be fine? Maybe? One way to find out! Let's hit that (Child's) Play button!

Our first images are the charred Chucky doll being salvaged and remade. Also, a limo driving through parts of Chicago that I wouldn't expect a limo. Like a metal salvage yard. We learn that the Barclays went to the press with this "Killer Good Guy Doll" story and are ruining the toy company's reputation (and their stocks) with it. The police denied everything. Karen is now under psych observation. Andy is getting put into Foster care.

I want to say this is to wave the fact the actress wasn't available, but looking into the trivia that isn't true. This was written into the script from the beginning! Was it to take the kid away from the only person who would believe him? Also, why would they go public with this story? It wasn't the company's fault that Charles Lee Ray used one of their dolls as a Soul Gem! And she knew that! So.... why the press?

Either way, the CEO wants to see the supposed Chucky Doll for himself. In the middle of reassembly, the doll's eyes shock a quality control worker to death, making our first death a blue-collar white man with no name.

Ana brought up a good idea: If Karen was around for this movie, she'd be up in that doll's face so hard, he'd have to kill her. And that's depressing for the audience and the kid. So instead, give him parents he DOESN'T care about and kill them! In fact!! IN FACT! Give Andy parents that are HORRIBLE! So we WANT to see them die! Because we're here to see Chucky kill people, right? That's the point of a horror sequel! The killings of jerks and a-holes done by an even WORSE a-hole!

The CEO demands this all be covered up fast. The Chucky Doll has moved (on its own?) near the door. And that's enough of that scene! Andy is in the foster system until his mother can be cleared. A white family (Joanne and Phil Simpson) is looking to hold onto him, but it seems they believe that Andy is a very "damaged boy" if not a killer. Already their house is giving me hives. There's a lot of breakable and valuable things within tiny arms' reach. There's nothing in their décor that a kid would find fun (think Grandma's house, but more so). Even for the 90s this house is OUTDATED.

The first thing Andy picks up is a statue that the mom's "grandmother gave to [her] mother and then gave" to the mom. A very important heirloom! Andy asks who will inherit the heirloom from Joanne. After an awkward infertility-laced silence, Andy is sent upstairs.

We get our first look at Kyle, the teenage girl who's been in the foster system so long, she's counting the months until she's out. Her name may be masculine, but she's very punk-femme. And practical. Her foster mother gives her shit for having a job, which is fucking uncool.  Joanne is all "You need to spend time with the family! This is the third night in a row that you've had to go to work!" and Kyle is all "I only have a year left before I'm out of the system? I need to save up for that?" Joanne is SO not cool.

As Andy goes through his new closet, a Good Guy Doll appears! We're in luck as it says the typical "Hi, I'm Tommy!" instead of "You Fucking S***". Joanne takes the doll downstairs and we get a taste of how these parents react to Andy's trauma. Phil is very no-nonsense and exasperated. "No running! It's just a doll! You hear me?" Joanne seems to mean well, but is still absent-minded about it. "Oh, I forgot we even had one of those! We just have so many kids- I'll take it away right now." Then she immediately forgets about it and leaves it downstairs where it'll be the first thing Andy sees in the morning. Great.

CEO's boot-licker takes Chucky to his car, complete with car phone! Chucky uses it to get Andy's new address from the foster home (WHICH WOULD NEVER HAPPEN) and holds boot-licker at gun-point to get him there. Course it's a water gun, so plastic bag will have to do for the killing. Chucky gets the rest of the way to the house on foot and slips inside via unlocked front door. When inside, Chucky "kills" the Good Guy Tommy with the precious heirloom statue, leaving both broken. Chucky buries the Tommy doll underneath the backyard swing while cackling at his own jokes. Got to love a man who works with a smile.

The next morning, the broken statue is blamed on both the kids. Kyle and Andy bond over being in the foster system with Kyle telling him how some parents are very mean and abusive. Add Andy being afraid of Phil, we have Andy trying to get on Phil's good side. Andy approaches the Good Guy Doll. It says "Hi! I'm... Tommy!". There's batteries in the back. That's enough for Andy to give it a try. At least for now.

After dark, Andy wakes up bound and gagged! Charles stands over him, ready to play "Hide the Soul"! Before he can begin, Kyle climbs up through the window. She didn't see Chucky move, but she does see a tied-up Andy and frees him just as the parents burst in. They blame Kyle for tying Andy up. Phil throws the doll down the basement and yells at Andy to grow up. I know I'm not a #1 Dad, but... maybe get some power tools in the morning and destroy the doll together? It's just a doll, right? It will be therapeutic! A shared bonding experience!

Andy goes to school while Chucky follows behind. They read some Pinocchio (haha) and the teacher yells at Andy for writing down some profanity he didn't actually write. Andy's far more worried about his life than what the teacher thinks right now, so he climbs out of the window when she leaves the room and locks him inside. Mrs. Kettlewell, the short-tempered hag, is next to die. She doubted Andy as a good kid, drinks her own haughty brand, and has an anti-drug button on her ascot! Oh, and she may have thrown Chucky in a closet pretty roughly. RIP Mrs. Kettlewell, killed by a ruler.

Phil is getting more and more pissed at Andy's "antics". When Phil is pissed, he takes it out on everyone, including Joanne, his wife. The only one who seems to be one Andy's side is Kyle. Her advise is very "trust only yourself". But it's what Andy needs. Armed only with a carving knife, Andy goes into the basement to solve his own problem. Phil goes down to see what's going on, but Chucky gets the drop on him. Phil lives with his newfound knowledge of how very very *wrong* he was for about 5 seconds before dying.

Joanne lashes out at Andy while she sobs over her dead husband. She then promptly packs all of Andy's things and sends him off with the Foster Services. She blames him for Phil's death? Grief can do some weird shit, but... ok. Kyle throws Chucky away and heads to the swing for a smoke. She accidentally uncovers the real Tommy doll and starts to piece some stuff together. Heading back to the trash can, she finds Chucky is already gone! SHIT!

Inside, Kyle grabs a knife and goes to check on Joanne, but it's too late. She's been killed by Chucky! Kyle fends off the doll, but soon he gets the better of her and forces her to take a drive. Sirens go off.

Chucky: "Floor it!"
Kyle: "Get real! This is a station wagon!"
Chucky: "...Shit!"

They pull over.

Cop: "That's a Good Guy Doll!"
*Chucky's nose bleeds*
Cop: "What the-"
Kyle: "You've seen dolls that pee? This one bleeds."
Cop: "...Slow it down."

Having bluffed their way past the cop, they pull the fire alarm to empty out the foster home. Kyle and Chucky are waiting for Andy on the stairs, and the head of the foster system sees this. She drags all three of them into a room, and then gets herself killed by grabbing Chucky. Andy and Chucky get into a newspaper van. Kyle follows in her car. If I'm going fast, so is the plot!

We wind up at the toy factory where the Good Guy dolls are made! Chucky knocks out Andy and starts to slowly chant the magic out. The magic fades. Andy looks up. Chucky still bleeds. He was too late. Or Damballah said NO to his request. IDK. Kyle gets the literal drop on Chucky and takes Andy away through the factory maze. They trick Chucky into a hot limb-applying machine, getting him very maimed, though not dead. Unfortunately.

Chucky could live through a train wreck, followed by anvils dropping, then a landmine from below, and a mashy-crushy plate like in Looney-Tunes. Also, like Looney-Tunes, the fucker would get back up and say "You know, THIS means WAR" before finally falling down. Chucky knocks out Kyle with a dead body he "found". He goes after Andy, who just melts him down with even more plastic. Kyle shoves an air pipe in his mouth when he starts moving that pops his head like a water balloon.

It's now over. They leave for home, wherever the hell that may be for them. The End. This movie was pretty fun, though not as fun as the original. The climax was in an interesting location, which is always super cool when utilized. 6/10, worth watching just to keep tabs on Andy's mental health.