When I read there was going to be another installment to the “Chucky” franchise I had the exact same reaction I had when I first heard about the latest Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie; I rolled my eyes.   Not because Bride of Chucky and Seed of Chucky were apparently more comedy than horror (I’ve yet to see them and don’t ever plan to) but because the franchise is old and stale.  Maybe those are the reasons to create another movie, but to me, some things are just better left in the past.  But because those movies always terrified me (thanks for the fear of dolls Mom!) and because I’m a horror fan in general, I read the article and checked out the trailer.

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       The plot this time around centers on Nica, a woman who’s reunited with her sister after the suicide of their mother.  Nica is the aunt of the young girl who randomly receives the Good Guy doll in the mail, and of course every adult in the movie just lets her keep the mysterious and creepy present.   Cue the overplayed horror movie thunderstorm, suspenseful music and subsequent murders.

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       As a horror movie, Curse of Chucky looks kind of lame, but on the flip side, as a Child’s Play movie, it looks pretty good, if that makes any sense.  Then again, I’m sure it’d be hard to make the movie any worse than the last two appeared to be.  The trailer looks as if the series went back to its original roots, darker and more horror based than comedic, something I’m sure the original hardcore Chucky fans are thankful for.   Curse of Chucky has the original writer and director, Don Mancini, and Brad Dourif still on board as the voice of the murderous doll, so hopefully the movie can deliver what the trailer promises. 

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       There’s already been a lot of debate surrounding the movie, which is only amping up fans’ anticipation of finally viewing the actual film.  The two biggest issues surrounding the film are who exactly Nica is, and where in chronological line does Curse of Chucky fall?  I’m not too familiar with these films; I know the premise of the main plot, and never having seen the last two installments made my research a little more complicated.   One of my biggest pet peeves regarding movies is when additional installments to a franchise have absolutely nothing to do with the original movie(s).  *cough*Cabin Fever2*cough*   That kind of sequel, or 3rd film, or 4th, etc., is completely useless to the franchise and an offense to fans of the original -and great - film, whatever it may be.  Some fans are speculating that Nica could be Andy’s sister, yet other fans think that concept is somewhat of a stretch.  The other hot issue is if Curse of Chucky is considered Child’s Play 4, or if it comes after the events of Seed of Chucky, and this is where my unfamiliarity with the complete franchise really comes into play.  More specifically, hard core fans have even debated over his facial scars to determine where in line the movie falls.  Since I’m not exactly a “fan” of the series, it’s easy for me to believe that the fans on these message boards are thinking entirely too deeply about the new film, although their knowledge and dedication are quite impressive.  According to Wikipedia, Curse of Chucky is indeed considered the 4th installment to the franchise, but then arises the question contemplating if this new film leads into the plots of Bride of Chucky and Seed of Chucky.

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       Unfortunately, die -hard fans will have to wait until the direct to DVD film is released on October 8th of this year to find out the answers to all these burning questions.   Until then, stay entertained rewatching the originals, and don’t open any large packages that may come in the mail.