Child's Play (2019) - A reboot done right

Has Hollywood completely run out of ideas?  The correct answer is 'Yes.' Reboots, remakes and reimaginings are all the rage right now - and none more so prominent than in the horror genre.  Therefore, it was only a matter of time before the nineteen eighties classic 'Child's Play' was given the same lazy treatment.  I didn't bother watching it in the cinema as I was all set to sneer at it as merely a shameless cash grab and a cheap, knock-off of the original.  How wrong I was.

Okay, so it is probably a bit of a 'cash grab,' but in the depressing history of horror remakes, this is actually a pretty good one.  For a start, they take the initial idea, i.e. child's toy doll that comes to life and starts killing people and change enough to make it recognisable as 'Child's Play,' while at the same time changing enough (mainly bringing it screaming into the modern era with our society's obsession with 'smart homes/devices') to make it different to the original.

If you're worried that the child actors will spoil the film (as they often do - and not just in horror films) then don't worry.  They're actually quite good and believable in their roles.  Obviously, the 'real' star of the film is the doll himself, or, in this case we have Mark Hamill stepping in for the original's Brad Dourif.  And, besides being known best for Luke Skywalker, he's actually really good at doing creepy voice work (as anyone who's seen his cartoon portrayal as 'the Joker' in the animated
'Batman' series can vouch for.

I'd probably say the original 'Child's Play' film was an outright horror (whereas its sequels fell into more a 'horror/comedy' feel) whereas this remake has definitely more than a few moments of black humour thrown in there, so prepare to have at least a little chuckle here and there.  Especially as the film's real high-point is actually its script.  All the way through it felt fresh and fun (in a dark and murderous kind of way, obviously!) and the characters interacted with each other in a way that felt natural.

Okay, so it may never have the originality of the original - by the very nature that it's a remake, but don't just dismiss it because it's a copy.  It may not be part of the existing 'Child's Play' 'lore,' but it's a smart and funny horror film that definitely deserves a watch (and I think Mark Hamill really sounded like he was enjoying himself singing the 'Buddi song').

8/10 The Force is definitely strong with this one