Synopsis
Years after the events of Bride of Chucky, evil dolls Chucky (voice of Brad Dourif) and Tiffany (Jennifer Tilly) are dormant and being used to make a Chucky movie, starring in-decline sexpot Jennifer Tilly. (I know: very postmodern already, and we’ve only just begun.) Their offspring (voice of Billy Boyd), of indeterminate gender and gentle spirit, escapes its evil ventriloquist captor, travels to Hollywood and revives the demonic duo, unaware of their psychotic natures. Chucky wants … boy, and names the child Glen. Tiffany wants a girl, and picks the name Glenda. Chucky wants Glen to take up the knife, while Tiffany tries to quit killing (but keeps having slips). Meanwhile, they plan to impregnate Tilly so that Glen/Glenda can become a real child, while the parents plan to transfer their souls into the bodies of Redman and Tilly. Lurking in the background is, appropriately, John Waters as a paparazzo.
The gags and film references are fast and furious. Huge lashings of gore notwithstanding, the series has surrendered any pretense that it is out to frighten the audience, and is pure blood comedy now. As such, it is much more interesting than the second-rate horror franchise it once was, and there are some pretty damn funny (not to mention tasteless) moments here. We spend so much time with the dolls that the film begins to resemble a screwed up episode of Thunderbirds, and Jennifer Tilly must be one of the greatest good sports in history to so completely mock herself.
Audio
The audio comes in both 5.1 and DTS formats, but the difference between the two is negligible. This is to say that both sound very good, with some strong surround elements and zero distortion. The tracks might not be as thunderous as they could be, but they are by and large excellent.
Video
Would you just look at that blood? Oh, so red and bright. The colours, in other words, look terrific, with very deep and strong contrasts. The blacks are fine, too, but the standout is that glorious gore. There is no grain or edge enhancement, and the aspect ratio is 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen..
Special Features
Tons of stuff here, much of it rather silly. The two commentaries are solid enough. Writer/director Don Mancini is on both, joined on the first (more fun) track by Jennifer Tilly, and on the second (more technical) track by puppet master Tony Gardner. “Chucky’s Facts on Demand” is a pop-up trivia track, and it’s pretty amusing (not to mention giving further examples of just how much of a sport Tilly really is). Many of the other extras simply stretch out the joke of the dolls starring in a movie to the breaking point. These include a “Chucky Unleashed” interview, the “Family Hell-iday Slideshow,” the “Conceiving the Seed of Chucky” mock featurette, and the FuZion Up Close featurette. Jennifer Tilly’s mock diary of the Romanian shoot for the Tonight Show is more of the same, but an honest-to-god text set diary by Tilly is also on offer. Other more informative extras include five storyboard-to-screen comparisons, extensive bios and filmographies, and a deleted scene with commentary by Mancini and actor Debbie Carrington. The teaser and theatrical trailer are also present. The menu’s main screen is animated and scored, and the secondary screens are scored. The elaborate transitions become annoying after the first few minutes of navigation.
Closing Thoughts
Kudos to Mancini for going all-out in turning the series into a comedy. Pretty funny stuff.
Special Features List
- Audio Commentaries
- Pop-Up Trivia Track
- Deleted Scene with Commentary
- “Chucky Unleashed” Interview
- “Family Hell-iday Slideshow”
- “Conceiving the Seed of Chucky” Featurette
- Tonight Show Sequence
- Jennifer Tilly Set Diary
- Biographies and Filmographies
- Storyboard-to-Screen Comparisons
- FuZion Up Close Featurette
- Theatrical Trailer and Teaser
