Child’s Play 2

Though the film does suffer from a few lulls here and there, Child’s Play 2 is – on the whole – a surprisingly effective sequel that’s sure to please fans of this ongoing series. The story picks up a few months following the events of the original, with Andy (Alex Vincent) now living in a foster home run by Joanne (Jenny Agutter) and Phil (Gerrit Graham). Chucky, meanwhile, is up to his old tricks after being rebuilt from the ground up, and it doesn’t take long for him to come gunning for Andy once again. Child’s Play 2‘s opening half hour admittedly doesn’t hold a whole lot of promise, as screenwriter Don Mancini spends far too much time explaining the events of its predecessor – yet there reaches a point at which one can’t help but be drawn into Chucky’s predictably murderous shenanigans (with the demise of Andy’s cruel teacher an obvious highlight). John Lafia’s unusually stylish directorial choices – coupled with strong performances by Agutter and Christine Elise (cast as Andy’s foster sister) – ensures that the film never quite comes off as the low-rent sequel one might’ve expected, while the action-packed conclusion (set within the Good Guy doll factory) certainly rivals anything within the original in terms of excitement or sheer brutality.

*** out of ****