Child's Play 2

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Child's Play 2
Chucky, seen in a Good Guy Doll, prepares to cut a metal coil attached to a jack-in-a-box, with a head of a clown showing a scared emotion. The film's tagline reads "SORRY JACK...CHUCKY'S BACK!"
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJohn Lafia
Written byDon Mancini
Based onCharacters
by Don Mancini
Produced byDavid Kirschner
Starring
CinematographyStefan Czapsky
Edited byEdward Warschilka
Music byGraeme Revell
Production
company
Living Doll Productions[1]
Distributed byUniversal Pictures[1]
Release date
  • November 9, 1990 (1990-11-09)
Running time
84 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$13 million[2]
Box office$35.8 million[2][3]

Child's Play 2 is a 1990 American supernatural slasher film and the direct sequel to Child's Play, written by Don Mancini and directed by John Lafia, one of the co-writers of the first film. It is the second installment in the Child's Play franchise and set two years after the first film; the plot follows Charles Lee Ray (better known as Chucky) continuing his pursuit for Andy Barclay, who was placed in foster care, and transferring his soul into him after being resurrected. Alex Vincent and Brad Dourif reprised their roles while Christine Elise, Jenny Agutter, Gerrit Graham and Grace Zabriskie joined the cast.

Child's Play 2 was released on November 9, 1990, exactly two years after the first film was released, and grossed over $35 million on a budget of $13 million. It was followed by a sequel, Child's Play 3, 9 months later.

Plot[edit]

In 1990, two years after the death of Chucky,[a] the Play Pals Corporation, who produce the Good Guy doll line, is attempting to recover from the negative publicity surrounding the event. To reassure its stockholders that there was nothing actually wrong with the doll, they acquire Chucky's remains and reassemble him. During the process, a power surge fatally electrocutes one of the assembly line workers and reanimates Chucky. Mr. Sullivan, the CEO of the company, orders his assistant Mattson to dispose of the doll to hide the evidence of the incident.

Meanwhile, Andy Barclay, now eight years old, has been in foster care ever since his mother was institutionalized for backing up Andy's story about the killer doll. Andy goes to live with foster parents Phil and Joanne Simpson, who are also fostering Kyle, a cynical, street-smart teenage girl. Chucky discovers Andy's whereabouts by using Mattson's car phone to call Grace Poole, the manager of Andy's foster center, before suffocating Mattson with a plastic bag.

Chucky infiltrates the home and takes the place of another Good Guy doll, "Tommy," which he buries in the backyard. Andy begins to bond with Kyle after the two are punished for an heirloom Chucky destroyed. That night, Chucky ties Andy to his bed and reveals himself, but Kyle enters the room before he can complete the voodoo chant to possess him. Kyle doesn't believe Andy's assertions about Chucky while Phil and Joanne blame Kyle and throw Chucky in the basement. Chucky realizes that his body is becoming human after suffering a nosebleed.

The next day, Chucky secretly follows Andy to school and defaces his homework, resulting in Andy being assigned detention. Chucky kills Andy's teacher Miss Kettlewell by stabbing her with a pump and then beating her multiple times with a yardstick, but Andy manages to escape. Andy tries to warn his foster parents about Chucky, but Phil refuses to believe him and considers returning him to the foster center.

That night, Andy sneaks into the basement to destroy Chucky with an electric knife, but the doll overpowers him. When Phil arrives to investigate the commotion, Chucky trips him, causing Phil to fall and break his neck. Joanne immediately blames Andy for Phil's death and sends him back to the foster center. After throwing Chucky in the garbage, Kyle discovers "Tommy" buried outside and realizes Andy was telling the truth all along. She rushes to warn Joanne, only to discover that Chucky has already killed her. Chucky ambushes Kyle and forces her to drive him to the foster center. There, Chucky clears the building by pulling the fire alarm. He stabs Grace to death and forces Andy to take him to the Play Pals factory to perform the voodoo chant.

Kyle pursues them to the factory but is unable to find them before Chucky knocks Andy unconscious and completes the ritual. Unfortunately for Chucky, the spell fails as he has spent too much time in his doll body and is now permanently trapped. Enraged, Chucky chases Andy and Kyle through the factory, during which he rips off his own hand after having it trapped under a gate and subsequently replaces it with a knife blade. After Chucky murders a factory technician, Kyle and Andy manage to mutilate his body with assembly-line equipment. However, Chucky escapes and attacks again, knocking out Kyle. Andy is able to open an emergency release valve, showering Chucky with molten plastic and seemingly killing him.

After saving the unconscious Kyle from being killed on a conveyor belt, the two approach the half-melted Chucky, who suddenly attacks them again. During the struggle, Kyle shoves a high-pressure air hose into his mouth, inflating his head until it explodes, finally killing him. Andy and Kyle exit the factory, unsure of where to go.

Cast[edit]

Production[edit]

United Artists purchased the script to the original Child's Play partially because UA President Tony Thomopoulis and MGM/UA Communications Chairman Lee Rich believed that it had the potential for multiple sequels.[6] Producer David Kirschner asked Tom Holland to return as director but declined due to his conflicts with producer David Kirschner and UA during the first film.[7] John Lafia, who had been turned down as director because he had no experience, was hired by Kirschner after directing The Blue Iguana. Mancini also agreed to return.[8] Mancini and Lafia decided to set the film at a foster home due to Lafia's experience living in a large family.[9] MGM/UA also commissioned a screenplay from Mark Patrick Carducci in case it was dissatisfied with Mancini's script, but it was not used.[10] Carducci's script would have involved Andy in a mental institution after the murders in the first film.[11]

The sequel was in pre-production and was set to begin filming on October 15, 1989, when UA President Richard Berger told producer David Kirschner that the film was put on hold as the studio was about to be acquired by the Australian group Qintex, whose director Christopher Skase intended to ban the studio from producing horror films.[12]

Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., Columbia Pictures, 20th Century Fox, The Price Company, Carolco, New Line Cinema, The Walt Disney Company, and Universal Pictures expressed interest in picking up the film rights to the series and sequel.[12][13] Disney, which was working with Kirschner to develop Hocus Pocus (1993), was especially interested in purchasing the series under its Touchstone Pictures label because it wanted to create a horror-themed attraction at its Disney-MGM Studios theme park.[14] However, Universal won the rights bid after Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy assisted Universal's Sid Sheinberg in convincing Kirschner to accept a negative pickup deal with the studio.[12][13][15]

Originally the film was intended to open with a courtroom scene of a jury sentencing Karen Barclay to a mental institution for insisting that Chucky was alive, and both Catherine Hicks and Chris Sarandon were intended to reprise their roles as Karen and Detective Mike Norris from the first film.[16] Sarandon recalled to People in 2023 that he declined to return when asked because Holland would not be involved.[17] However, their scenes were cut from the scripts because of budgetary constraints, and as a result of their omission the film is much shorter than the other installments in the series. The courtroom scene would be recycled as the ending of Curse of Chucky in 2013. It also would have contained a scene where Chucky's remains were held in a police evidence locker alongside Jason Voorhees and Michael Myers's masks, an idea which came to be reused in Bride of Chucky in 1998.[16]

Jenny Agutter would be cast as Joanne Simpson after Veronica Cartwright was considered. Gerrit Graham would beat Jeffrey Jones, Tim Matheson, and Charles Grodin for the role of Phil Simpson.[18] Shannen Doherty, Kristy Swanson, Holly Marie Combs, and Christine Elise all auditioned for the role of Kyle. Although Elise nearly missed her follow-up audition to film an episode of Baywatch, she got the role.[19]

Principal photography began on November 6, 1989 with a $12 million budget.[20] Since Kirschner was busy after getting hired to run Hanna-Barbera, the production was supervised by Robert Latham Brown.[21] Unlike the first film which was mostly shot on-location in Chicago, most of the second film was shot on Universal Studios Lot in Universal City, California.[20] The Play Pals factory sequence was shot in an abandoned warehouse in Valencia, California.[21] Brad Dourif recorded all of his dialogue as Chucky in advance, which allowed his words to match up with his facial movements better than in the first film. Kevin Yagher returned to do the special effects and puppetry, directing several scenes of the film himself.[16] Ed Gale was rehired to play the body of Chucky, but unlike in the first film very few of his scenes were used.[18] The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees picketed the shoot to demand that the production company stop using non-union employees, with the crew voting to sign a union contract in January 1990 shortly before filming wrapped.[20] Graeme Revell, whose only scoring experience was the 1989 Australian psychological horror film Dead Calm, was hired to compose the music after lying to the studio that he had composed an orchestral composition before.[16] Kevin Carlson, Van Snowden, and N. Brock Winkless IV[22] were credited as part of the puppeteers of Chucky.

Music[edit]

The score of the film was composed by Graeme Revell, and conducted, as well as orchestrated, by Shirley Walker. Unlike the first film that has electronic music, the music for the sequel is completely orchestral.

Novelization[edit]

A tie-in novelization to the film was later written by Matthew J. Costello. The author added in some of his own plot scenes exclusive to the novel, such as going deeper into Andy Barclay and Chucky's past. Chucky is characterized to have an absent father and his abusive mother being a dwarf. Chucky got teased a lot because of this and later strangled his mother to death. Also, Chucky was put in special classes when he was younger. During the scene at the factory, Chucky sees a bunch of Good Guy dolls and wishes that he could bring them to life to do his bidding. This was partially used as the plot of the film Cult of Chucky.

Reception[edit]

Box office[edit]

The film opened at number one in the US with an opening weekend gross of $10,718,520 from 1,996 screens in the US.[3][23] The film grossed a total of $28,501,605 in the US and an additional $7.3 million internationally for a worldwide gross of $35.8 million.[3]

Critical response[edit]

Rotten Tomatoes gives the film an approval rating of 40% based on 15 reviews.[24] Evan Dickson of Bloody Disgusting, in describing how it surpasses the original film, wrote, "Child's Play 2 manages to strip away all artifice and still manage to be an effective slasher."[25]

Variety wrote, "Child's Play 2 is another case of rehashing the few novel elements of an original to the point of utter numbness."[26] Gene Siskel gave the film zero stars out of four, calling it "A vicious, ugly little thriller."[27] On Siskel and Ebert's Worst of 1990 show, Siskel further criticised the film, accusing director John Lafia of "prostituting himself" and rhetorically asking the audience "who was this trash made for and would you want to sit next to them in a theater?"

Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times thought the original was "a terrific one-of-a-kind thriller," but "Not so the sequel. It's an all-out horror film—handsomely produced but morbid and not in the least amusing to watch."[28] Richard Harrington of The Washington Post called it "an inevitable sequel that's not as good as its progenitor, but better than most movies with the numbers 2 through 8 in their titles."[29]

Controversy[edit]

It was later revealed that the movie was a favourite of Martin Bryant, who committed the Port Arthur massacre.[30]

Audience's response[edit]

Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale.[31] According to the creator, Don Mancini, and the cast of the Child's Play franchise, Child's Play 2 is considered the favorite film of Chucky by fans.[32]

Home media[edit]

Child's Play 2 was first released on VHS by MCA/Universal Home Video in North America on April 11, 1991.[33] The film was later released on DVD in 1999 and bundled with the fourth film Bride of Chucky. This released on DVD by Universal Pictures Home Entertainment on October 22, 2002. It was released in multiple collections, such as:

  • The Chucky Collection (alongside Child's Play 3 and Bride of Chucky), released on October 7, 2003.[34]
  • Chucky – The Killer DVD Collection (alongside Child's Play 3, Bride and Seed of Chucky), released on September 19, 2006.[35]
  • Chucky: The Complete Collection (alongside Child's Play and 3, Bride, Seed and Curse of Chucky), released on October 8, 2013.[36]
  • Chucky: Complete 7-Movie Collection (alongside Child's Play and 3, Bride, Seed, Curse and Cult of Chucky), released on October 3, 2017.

Child's Play 2 was released on 4K Ultra HD by Scream! Factory on August 16, 2022. This release included a new 4K scan from the original camera negative, a new Dolby Atmos track and several interviews recorded in 2022 with creator Don Mancini, actor Alex Vincent, producer David Kirschner, actress Christine Elise, actress Beth Grant, and executive producer Robert Latham Brown.[37]

Sequels[edit]

The film was followed by Child's Play 3 in 1991, Bride of Chucky in 1998, Seed of Chucky in 2004, Curse of Chucky in 2013, Cult of Chucky in 2017, and the TV series Chucky in 2021.

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ As depicted in Child's Play (1988)

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Child's Play 2 (1990)". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. Retrieved January 27, 2018.
  2. ^ a b "Child's Play 2 (1990)". The Numbers. Retrieved 2015-07-07.
  3. ^ a b c "Child's Play 2". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2015-07-07.
  4. ^ "Chucky Was Played by a Real Person Exclusive Interview with Ed Gale". iHorror | Horror News and Movie Reviews. January 29, 2015.
  5. ^ Navarro, Meagan (April 15, 2019). "[It Came From the '80s] How Actors and Effects Made a Killer Doll a Horror Icon in 'Child's Play'".
  6. ^ "AFI|Catalog". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved 2021-05-29.
  7. ^ McNeill & Mullins 2022, p. 142-143.
  8. ^ McNeill & Mullins 2022, pp. 142–143.
  9. ^ McNeill & Mullins 2022, p. 147.
  10. ^ McNeill & Mullins 2022, p. 118.
  11. ^ McNeill & Mullins 2022, p. 226-228.
  12. ^ a b c Cieply, Michael (1989-08-21). "New UA Team Won't Touch 'Child's Play II'". Los Angeles Times.
  13. ^ a b Collis, Clark (February 18, 2019). "You only Chucky twice: The strange story behind the two Child's Play franchises". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  14. ^ McNeill & Mullins 2022, pp. 154–155.
  15. ^ McNeill & Mullins 2022, pp. 156–159.
  16. ^ a b c d "10 Behind-The-Scenes-Facts About The Making Of Child's Play 2". ScreenRant. 2020-05-29. Retrieved 2021-05-29.
  17. ^ Juneau, Jen (November 9, 2023). "Brad Dourif, Voice of Chucky for 35 Years, Was 'Surprised' Child's Play Was a 'Smash Hit' (Exclusive)". People (magazine). Retrieved November 10, 2023.
  18. ^ a b McNeill & Mullins 2022, p. 163.
  19. ^ McNeill & Mullins 2022, p. 165.
  20. ^ a b c "AFI|Catalog". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved 2021-05-29.
  21. ^ a b McNeill & Mullins 2022, p. 160.
  22. ^ Cheng, Cheryl (2015-07-30). "N. Brock Winkless IV, the Puppeteer of Chucky in 'Child's Play,' Dies at 56". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2015-08-23.
  23. ^ Broeske, Pat H. (1990-11-12). "Child's Play Sequel No. 1 at Box Office : Films: Kevin Costner's 'Dances With Wolves' debuts with the highest per-screen average of the year". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-12-22.
  24. ^ "Child's Play 2". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2015-07-07.
  25. ^ Dickson, Evan (2013-09-24). "Is 'Child's Play 2' Better Than 'Child's Play'?!". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved 2016-03-03.
  26. ^ "Review: 'Child's Play 2'". Variety. 1990. Retrieved 2016-03-03.
  27. ^ Siskel, Gene (December 7, 1990). "Siskel's Flicks Picks". Chicago Tribune. Section 7, p. C.
  28. ^ Thomas, Kevin (November 9, 1990). "'Child's Play 2' Plays Up the Horror". Los Angeles Times. F8.
  29. ^ Harrington, Richard (November 12, 1990). "More Nasty Games From 'Child's Play'". The Washington Post. B6.
  30. ^ "11 Real-Life Murders That Were Inspired by Horror Movies". 14 October 2021.
  31. ^ "CinemaScore". cinemascore.com.
  32. ^ Don Mancini and Childs Play franchise cast (July 25, 2021). The Legacy of Chucky, Comic-Con@Home 2021 (Online video platform). Comic-Con International. Event occurs at 4:15. 3IILFAkGHfI. Retrieved July 28, 2021. Child's Play 2: The fan favorite
  33. ^ "HOME VIDEO; New Video Releases". The New York Times. 1991-04-18. Retrieved 2015-07-07.
  34. ^ Goldman, Eric (2006-09-08). "Double Dip Digest: Child's Play". IGN. Retrieved 2016-01-17.
  35. ^ Jane, Ian (2006-09-21). "Chucky: The Killer DVD Collection". DVD Talk. Retrieved 2016-01-17.
  36. ^ Zupan, Michael (2013-10-11). "Chucky: The Complete Collection (Blu-ray)". DVD Talk. Retrieved 2016-01-17.
  37. ^ "Child's Play 2 [Collector's Edition] + Exclusive Poster - UHD/Blu-ray :: Shout! Factory". www.shoutfactory.com. Retrieved 2022-08-29.

Bibliography[edit]

McNeill, Dustin; Mullins, Travis (2022). Reign of Chucky: The True Hollywood Story of a Not So Good Guy. Harker Press. ISBN 9798218038564.

External links[edit]

Wikiquote has quotations related to Child's Play 2.
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