Chucky: The Complete Collection

If horror buffs created a list of their favorite longtime franchises titles like A Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, and Halloween would probably be at the top.  However, somewhere in the middle of the pack before Critters and Tremors lies a murderous doll with a sick sense of humor.  Originated way back in 1988, the Child's Play/Chucky franchise celebrates its 25th Anniversary with a complete blu-ray collection including the brand new 6th film in the series - Curse of Chucky.

In Child's Play, serial killer Charles Lee Ray, or Chucky (Brad Dourif, Deadwood) as friends call him, is on the run from detectives.  While seeking refuge in a toy store, Ray is fatally wounded and uses his knowledge of voodoo to transfer his soul into a massively popular Good Guy doll.  From there, Chucky falls into the hands of the Barclay family where the evil doll hopes to obtain the soul of young Andy (Alex Vincent).  The next two films, Child's Play 2 and Child's Play 3, both chronicle Chucky's revenge fueled pursuit of Andy Barclay.
 
After a seven year layoff, the series took a more comedic tone with 1998's Bride of Chucky.  Chucky's former girlfriend Tiffany (Jennifer Tilly, Bound) obtains his remains and stitches him back to life.  The pair end up being reunited in doll-form and hunt a neighborhood couple in which to transfer their souls to.  The following film, 2004's Seed of Chucky, follows Glen (Billy Boyd, The Lord of the Rings) as he attempts to connect with parents Chucky and Tiffany in Hollywood.
 
Fast forward 9 years and the series attempts a return to more serious roots with the direct-to-video Curse of Chucky.  A mysterious package containing Chucky arrives at the home of paraplegic Nica (Fiona Dourif, The Master) and her mother Sarah.  When Sarah is found dead in the morning, other members of the family visit partly to comfort Nica and partly to convince her to sell the home.  Chucky begins to dismantle the family one member at a time to settle a 25-year-old grudge.

Having not seen the original Child's Play for a number of years, I was surprised at how well the film has held up.  The gory special effects late in the picture are as gruesome as ever and the long build before Chucky even utters one word is just as effective.  The point-of-view camera style from Chucky’s perspective is downright creepy as he runs around the Barclay apartment tormenting the inhabitants.  Child’s Play 2 and 3 were a downgrade quality-wise until the series switched to a primarily comedic tone for the 4th and 5th entries.  Frankly, Chucky fans will either love or hate these two films as they are sophomoric in nature and almost a parody of themselves.  Surprisingly, the latest entry in the franchise - Curse of Chucky - is arguably the greatest film of the franchise.  Like the first film, writer/director Don Mancini builds the tension slowly with a strong storyline that manages to connect the past 25 years.  Thankfully, Glen/Glenda has been completely ignored.

Although fans are probably excited for the chance to own a complete Chucky collection, they might be rather disappointed with the special features.  The first five films only have extras ported over from past DVD releases all in standard definition quality.  Even worse, they haven’t even added anything to the barebones releases of Child’s Play 2 & 3.  As it is the latest film, Curse of Chucky is the only disc to have brand new features in HD.  Bonus content includes a commentary track, a few vignettes, and a handful of deleted scenes.  True fans of the franchise are probably going to pick this up regardless of my opinions, but be warned that there will most likely be a seventh film.  With that seventh film comes the inevitability of another box set.  For those mildly interested, I would wait to see what the future holds.  Curse of Chucky is highly recommended as a rental.