Child’s Play 3

Despite the inclusion of a few memorable kill sequences and a typically entertaining vocal performance from Brad Dourif, Child’s Play 3 generally comes off as a disjointed, increasingly tedious effort that has little to offer even the most ardent Chucky fan. Set eight years after the events of its predecessor, the movie follows a teenaged Andy Barclay (now played by Justin Whalin) as he attempts to put his tumultuous past behind him and settle in at a rigid military school. Meanwhile, Chucky has been rebuilt by the Play Pals Toy Company and – after dispatching a hapless executive – it’s not long before the killer doll arrives on the scene to once more terrorize his former owner. Right from the get-go, there’s little doubt that screenwriter (and series creator) Don Mancini spends far too much time emphasizing Andy’s military-school hijinks – as such sequences possess a familiarity that’s generally impossible to overlook (ie Andy’s annoyingly antagonistic relationship with a superior officer). And while Andrew Robinson does turn in a flamboyant and undeniably entertaining performance as the school’s barber – one who meets his untimely end after foolishly attempting to give Chucky a haircut – Child’s Play 3 is mostly devoid of the over-the-top shenanigans that one has come to expect out of the series (with the desperate, entirely unimpressive finale only cementing the movie’s status as a missed opportunity).

** out of ****