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Given the state of affairs on the Hellraiser and Leprechaun series, most of us expected "Child's Play Part 5" to hit the scene in direct-to-video form. But Mr. Mancini wooed the right studio, and Universal was looking for a movie to kick-start their new Rogue genre banner.

(OK, Shaun of the Dead was actually Rogue's flagship release, but that one was picked up late in the day - and Universal should be pretty thrilled about that acquisition; SotD is infinitely funnier, scarier and cooler than anything that Seed of Chucky has to offer.)

For those unfamiliar with what went down in Child's Play, Child's Play 2, Child's Play 3 and Bride of Chucky, here's the scoop: killer dolls, one male and one female. Like anything you'd label as "killer dolls" - these dolls murder people. And since the very concept of homicidal dollies is deeply rooted in lunacy, Mancini and his various co-conspirators were smart enough to turn this series towards the department of self-mockery. Bride of Chucky was both darkly amusing and colorfully gory; Seed of Chucky tries to amp up both ends and the result is like a roll of paper towels covered in melted crayons. Colorful and weird, but not particularly useful.

Not that the plot matters one whit, but the fourth sequel sees Chucky and Tiffany resurrected by their androgynous offspring Glen, and the pair get to killin' anew. As Glen tries to find his place in their world, Jennifer Tilly (who also plays the voice of Tiff) spends about an hour poking fun of her silly sexpot image. (Does Jennifer Tilly actually have an "image"?) Since the action goes down in Tinsel Town, you can expect a truckload of rather obvious swipes at celebrities and the moviemaking machines, but none of the gags hit their mark with any accuracy.

Sprinkled amidst the cornball jokes and wink-at-the-camera self-satire are Chucky and Tiffany doing what they do best. And while Seed of Chucky does manage to deliver some solid gore for those who adore such things, the movie never once comes close to being scary in any way, shape or form. Those who bemoaned Freddy Krueger's descent into one-liner hucksterism will find themselves perpetually annoyed at the lame-duck comedy material offered here.

Brad Dourif and Ms. Tilly seem to be having some fun with their voice-work here, and Billy Boyd does bring an arcane-yet-likeable oddness to his role as Glen. The human actors do not fare as well. Though still very lovely and charmingly jiggly, Tilly simply doesn't have the chops to carry an entire movie on her own - even if it is an 80-some minute chop-em-up schlock-fest like Seed of Chucky. Co-stars Redman and Hannah Spearritt wander through their scenes; cult hero John Waters contributes a predictably broad cameo as a snooping reporter. He offers the best laughs in the movie, so logic dictates that he only gets maybe two scenes.

As a lifelong Horror Hound, I'm absolutely thrilled to see Universal crack the seal on an all-genre distribution label. Here's hoping that Rogue Pictures can start churning out great horror movies at a Lions Gate clip. But fourth-generation jokey gorefests are not what we're after, fellas. Focus more on the Shaun of the Dead pick-ups and less on the stale franchise material, and we'll soon be the best of friends.

link directly to this review at http://www.efilmcritic.com/review.php?movie=11145&reviewer=128
originally posted: 11/19/04 13:36:07
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