CHILD’S PLAY 2

Chucky, the demonic doll of 1988’s CHILD’S PLAY turns up again more revolting and terrifying than ever in CHILD’S PLAY 2. At the end of CHILD’S PLAY, Chucky was decapitated and burned to a crisp; but, he returns from Mattel Hell in CHILD’S PLAY 2, reassembled by his designers as evidence in a court case.

To be sure, Chucky is not your typical run-of-the mill doll. His manufacturer calls him a “Good Guy,” one of a series of child-like, talking dolls whose slogan is: “We want you for a best friend.” However, Chucky turns out to be an aberration, doggedly tracking down his former owner, little Andy Barclay, who now lives in a foster home. Chucky wants to possess Andy’s soul, thereby attaining flesh-and-blood life.

From its opening scenes, the film makes much use of foreshadowing. For instance, as Andy’s new foster parents drive him home, they have a near collision with a truck — you guessed it — a Good Guy truck. Then, upon arrival in his new home, Andy discovers a closet full of toys, including a Good Guy doll. Repeatedly, poor Andy encounters these dolls until the real Chucky turns up to haunt him.

The real Chucky, whose full name is Charles LeRay, an infamous serial killer, follows Andy to his new school, and, while Andy is at recess, scrawls an obscenity addressed to the teacher on his paper. When the teacher discovers Andy’s paper, she becomes incensed and keeps Andy after school. However, after the teacher leaves the room and locks the door, Andy escapes through a window, and Chucky hides in the closet. Later, as the teacher looks in the closet for Andy, Chucky jumps out at her, stabbing and killing her while laughing demonically and uttering obscenities.

As Chucky pursues Andy to consummate his evil purpose, he gleefully murders anyone in his path. Of course, Andy stays terrified because Chucky keeps popping up, trying to possess him. Before long, Chucky manages to kill Andy’s foster parents. They had accused Andy of all the mishaps in the house like the breaking of a priceless antique statue and considered Andy emotionally disturbed when he told them about Chucky.

Chucky meets his waterloo at the close of CHILD’S PLAY 2 when he is demolished in, of all places, the Good Guy factory where he began his wretched life. However, have no fear — or rather, do: there’s already a script in the works for CHILD’S PLAY 3.

This is an evil film bound to give nightmares to any child who sees it and many adults, too. It took the reviewer two hours to regain composure from the film’s emotional bombardment of graphic, explicit gore, violence, murder, and the accompanying sound effects.

The message that comes through CHILD’S PLAY 2 is anti-child. As Chucky admits tellingly: “I hate kids.” However, the message of the Bible is directly opposite when Jesus says, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them: for of such is the kingdom of God” (Mark 10:14).

Don’t waste your time on CHILD’S PLAY 2, if you value your mental health. It reflects a society’s moral values gone amuck and awry.