Child's Play 2

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Child's Play 2

Theatrical poster of Chucky about to decapitate a jack-in-the-box
Directed by John Lafia
Produced by David Kirschner
Robert Latham Brown (Executive producer)
Written by Don Mancini
Based on Characters by
Don Mancini
David Kirschner (Chucky doll)
Starring Alex Vincent
Jenny Agutter
Gerrit Graham
Christine Elise
Grace Zabriskie
Brad Dourif
Music by Graeme Revell
Cinematography Stefan Czapsky
Editing by Edward Warschilka
Distributed by Universal Pictures
Release dates November 9, 1990 (1990-11-09)
Running time 84 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $13 million
Box office $35,763,605

Child's Play 2 is a 1990 American horror film, the sequel to Child's Play, written by Don Mancini and directed by John Lafia (one of the original film's writers). It was released on November 9, 1990, exactly two years after the first film was released. Veteran actors Gerrit Graham and Emmy and BAFTA-winner Jenny Agutter, star as Andy's foster parents. The film also stars Alex Vincent, who returns as Andy Barclay, Christine Elise as Kyle, as well as Brad Dourif as the voice of Chucky. It is also noted for being the first film appearance of Adam Wylie and featuring an early appearance by Ally McBeals Greg Germann. The film uses more comic elements in regards to the Chucky character than its predecessor.

Child's Play 2 was successful for a horror film, in its opening weekend—it took an estimated $10,718,520, with only 1,996 screens in the US. The film grossed an estimated $28,501,605 in the US and was declared a hit. It grossed an additional $7.2 million internationally. The film received mixed reviews. The film was rated "R" by the MPAA. The film was rated R16 in New Zealand for horror scenes and violence.

Plot

Two years have passed and Andy Barclay (Alex Vincent) has been placed in foster care, and his mother committed to a mental hospital.

Play Pals, the company behind the Chucky (voiced by Brad Dourif) doll, is still trying to manage the bad publicity that arose from the events of the previous film. They use the melted parts of the possessed doll to rebuild it, and in the process one of the factory workers is electrocuted and killed when the machine malfunctions. The CEO orders to cover up the worker's death. The doll is rebuilt anyway, and the CEO's assistant, Mattson (Greg Germann), takes it with him. The doll turns out to still be possessed with Chucky's spirit, and kills Mattson by suffocating him.

Chucky manages to find the location of Andy's foster family, the Simpsons. He sneaks into the house and takes the place of the home's Tommy doll (which is in the same line of Good Guy dolls). Once everyone is asleep, Chucky ties Andy up and starts the voodoo ritual that is supposed to transfer his soul into Andy's body. Kyle (Christine Elise), Andy's foster sister, interrupts the process. Andy tries to warn her and their foster parents about what Chucky is, but no one believes him. Phil (Gerrit Graham), Andy's foster father, throws Chucky into the basement.

The next day, Chucky follows Andy to school and tries to grab him there. Andy escapes, but Chucky kills Miss Kettlewell (Beth Grant) Andy's teacher before returning to the house and waiting for the next opportunity. Once again Andy tries to explain what happened to his foster parents, but they show him that Chucky cannot have done it because he is in their basement. That night, Andy arms himself with an electric carving knife and heads into the basement to kill Chucky. There is a struggle that attracts the attention of Andy's foster father, and when Phil arrives to check it out, Chucky drops on him and snaps his neck. Andy's foster mother, Joanne (Jenny Agutter), believes that Andy is responsible for killing Phil, and sends Andy back to the foster care center.

Joanne tells Kyle to get rid of the Chucky doll. Kyle throws Chucky into the garbage, but while she is outside she discovers the original Tommy doll, buried in the ground. Then she realizes that Chucky is gone from the garbage, and that Andy was telling the truth. Kyle rushes back into the house but Joanne is already dead. Chucky reveals himself and kidnaps Kyle, forcing her to bring him to the foster center where Andy is.

At the foster center, Chucky kills the social worker that's watching over him, and takes Andy away. They leave for the nearby Good Guy dolls factory, Kyle secretly chasing after them. In the factory, after knocking Andy out once again, Chucky again attempts to do the voodoo ritual, and this time finishes it. However, he has waited too long and the spell no longer works, leaving Chucky permanently trapped inside the doll. Enraged, Chucky chases Andy and Kyle through the factory, intending to kill them. Chucky looses one of his hands after Kyle crushes it in machinery, and he later inserts his knife blade into the fleshlike wound to use as a weapon. Kyle and Andy eventually manage to get the upper hand, pouring hot melted plastic on him and then putting an air hose into his mouth that causes his head to inflate and explode, finally killing him.

Andy and Kyle walk out of the factory into the bright new morning. Andy asks where they are going, to which Kyle replies "Home", even though now, neither one knows where home is.

An extended ending reveals that a chunk of Chucky's skin after his head exploded got mixed in with the Good Guy doll making plaster. A machine is then seen making a new Good Guy Doll head, which then forms a sinister smile, setting up the events for Child's Play 3.

Cast

Novelization

A tie-in novelization was later written by Matthew J. Costello. The author wrote in some of his own parts. Like going deeper into Andy Barclay and Chucky`s past. Like Chucky not having a father and his mother being a dwarf. Chucky also got teased a lot because of that. Also, Chucky was put in special classes when he was younger. Another difference is that in the motion picture, Andy Barclay is eight years old and is in second grade. In the novel, he is a seven-year-old and is in first grade.

Production

United Artists released the original Child's Play in 1988 and greenlit the second film. The sequel was in pre-production when an UA executive told producer David Kirschner that the film was put on hold as the studio was about to be acquired by the Australian group Qintex, who decided that in their best interest was not to make horror films. After offers with Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., Columbia Pictures, 20th Century Fox, the Price Company, Carolco, New Line Cinema, and Disney to buy the film were rejected, Kirschner produced it independently with Universal Pictures distributing.[1]

Reception

Box office

The film was successful for a horror film, its opening weekend earning an estimated $10,718,520, with only 1,996 screens in the US. The film grossed an estimated $28,501,605 in the US and was #1 at the box office.[2] It grossed an additional $7.2 million internationally.

Critical response

The film received mixed reviews. Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a score of 43% based on 14 reviews.[3]

Whilst negative criticism was directed towards some scenes and areas of the script which were considered unrealistic or 'corny', positive reception was again directed towards the acting, in particular Brad Dourif who was again praised for his voice-acting of Chucky. Alex Vincent was also praised for his performance as Andy.[citation needed]

References

  1. ↑
  2. ↑ Broeske, Pat H. (1990-11-12). "Child's Play Sequel No. 1 at Box Office : Films: Kevin Costner's 'Dances With Wolves' debuts with the highest per-screen average of the year.". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-12-22. 
  3. ↑ Child's Play Rotten Tomatoes

External links

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Films directed by John Lafia
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