Child's Play 3 (1991)

Chucky, the doll possessed by a serial killer, returns for revenge against Andy, the young boy that defeated him and has since become adult.

Director:

Jack Bender

Writers:

Don Mancini (characters), Don Mancini

Stars:

Justin Whalin, Perrey Reeves, Jeremy Sylvers

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Justin Whalin	...	Andy Barclay
Perrey Reeves	...	De Silva
Jeremy Sylvers	...	Tyler
Travis Fine	...	Shelton
Dean Jacobson	...	Whitehurst
Brad Dourif	...	Chucky (voice)
Peter Haskell	...	Sullivan
Dakin Matthews	...	Colonel Cochrane
Andrew Robinson	...	Sergeant Botnick
Burke Byrnes	...	Sergeant Clark
Matthew Walker	...	Ellis
Donna Eskra	...	Ivers
Edan Gross	...	Good Guy Doll (voice)
Terry Wills	...	Garbage Man
Richard Marion	...	Patterson

Storyline

It's been eight years since the events in the second film, we now see that Andy is a teenager who has been enrolled in a military school. Play Pals Toy Company decides to re-release its Good Guys line, feeling that after all this time, the bad publicity has died down. As they re-used old materials, the spirit of Charles Lee Ray once again comes to life. In his search for Andy, Chucky falls into the hands of a younger boy, and he realizes that it may be easier to transfer his soul into this unsuspecting child. Andy is the only one who knows what Chucky is up to, and it's now up to him to put a stop to it.

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Plot Keywords:

chucky | charles lee ray | doll | serial killer | toy company | 

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Taglines:

There comes a time to put away childhood things. But some things just won't stay put!

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Genres:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for horror violence and language

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 August 1991 (USA)

Also Known As:

Child's Play III

Filming Locations:

Kemper Military School - 701 Third Street, Boonville, Missouri, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$13,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$14,960,255 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Jack Bender's theatrical feature debut after directing TV for a period of time.

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Goofs

All the snow in the forest at the end of the movie is more like foam than real snow, and bends and wiggles underhand.

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Quotes

Andy Barclay: We killed you.
Chucky: You know what they say. "You just can't keep a Good Guy down."

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Connections

Featured in The Cinema Snob: Star Odyssey (2011)

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Soundtracks

"Solveig's Song"
Composed by Edvard Grieg (as Edvard Greig)
Arranged by W. Warren
Courtesy of Corelli/Jacobs Music

User Reviews

Black Sheep? Not Quite

Every horror series has a black sheep. "Friday the 13th" had the Jason-less fifth installment, "Halloween" the Michael Meyers-less third entry, and "A Nightmare on Elm Street" the silly first sequel. For many fans, "Child's Play 3" is the embarrassment of the Chucky saga. But why?

So many reviews of this film express exacerbation, even confusion, over the sudden shift eight years into the future. What's so hard to understand? We had already had two movies with Chucky chasing a little kid. It was time to move the story along, hence our hero Andy Barclay (Justin Whalin) is now a teenager at a military academy. This change of scenery was the breath of fresh air the series needed, as it opens up all kinds of new options to the murderous doll, which he fully exploits (paintball guns loaded with real ammo, anyone?).

Other reviewers complain this just isn't scary. There they have a point, but how many gorefests actually bring our hands up to our eyes? Scariness is a great complement, but that doesn't mean the whole project goes down the tubes without it. "Child's Play 3" has a smooth storyline, a touch of suspense and a truly memorable, original climax at a carnival (though it doesn't quite surpass the doll factory finale of the the previous film). Chucky's foul mouth begins to be a liability rather than an asset, but we can cut him some slack -- he's certainly never looked better (or more realistic).

"Child's Play 3" does have its ups and downs, however. The romance between Andy and a fellow cadet is a distraction, and there are times when our plastic star just seems brushed aside in favor of more serious moments. Chucky's desire to swap souls with someone other than Andy is a welcome change, but his new target, young Tyler, is one dimensional and uninteresting. He's unable to carry his scenes like Alex Vincent, who played child Andy in the first two films.

As far as I'm concerned, this was the last of the true "Child's Play" films. Once this one was done, the series became a shameful, hokey parody of itself. This entry is by no means perfect and it's certainly not up the caliber of "Child's Play 2". Yet it's not the piece of trash so many would have us believe. In fact, it may just be one of the most underrated theatrical horror films of the early '90s.