The most riveting slasher villains are either human or supernatural, but there's another memorable one who takes the form of a soft, plush doll. Chucky from the beloved Child's Play franchise has been scaring horror fans since the first movie came out in 1988. There have been eight movies since then, including the reboot in 2019, along with a SyFy TV series that has just concluded its second season.
At first, Chucky scares the living daylights out of Andy Barclay (Alex Vincent) and his single mother Karen (Catherine Hicks). He seems like he can go wherever he wants and do whatever he wants and it's easy to forget that he's actually a doll because he is so overwhelmingly powerful. But now, thanks to his portrayal on the TV series, Chucky seems like a lovable mascot for the slasher franchise instead of being so absolutely frightening. It's interesting to look at the evolution of this character who has been so iconic.
It's interesting to compare the Chucky from the first Child's Play movie from 1988 to what he is like in the SyFy Chucky TV series. In the movie, Chucky is one of the smartest horror movie villains and also one of the most frightening. He grabs weapons with use wherever he is and goes after anyone who gets in his way. He thrives off of killing people and genuinely enjoys it, which is even scarier thanks to him being an adorable doll at the same time. But as the character has evolved and the TV show has concluded its second season, it's possible to say that Chucky is now less scary and more cute, charming, and lovable.
Is the Chucky TV show better than the movies? It's a fair question and answering it takes into account how much the villain has changed since his first film. One of the best things about the TV show is how funny it is. But it's also interesting to see how playful and whimsical Chucky has become. In the season 2 premiere of Chucky, Andy drives a truck full of Good Guy dolls. Watching them come to life and hold tiny knives is more hilarious than anything else. If this was a scene from the first film, it would definitely be something to be afraid of.
Perhaps Chucky's evolution into a lovable mascot for the slasher franchise was totally inevitable. Chucky the killer doll is timeless but, then again, he is a doll. Given the fact that there have been 8 Child's Play movies and a TV show, can the character really still be horrifying? Yes, he's powerful and dangerous and can do a lot of damage in a short amount of time. He has an evil laugh and now he has tons of Good Guy dolls who work for him and do his bidding. But he's also adorable and it's hard to forget that.
It's fascinating to see how the characters in the TV series approach him. Jake Wheeler (Zackary Arthur), Lexy Cross (Alvyia Alyn Lind), and Devon Evans (Björgvin Arnarson) are genuinely freaked out by the doll in seasons 1 and 2, even more so at the boarding school they are at now. But Jake does have moments of connecting with Chucky that confuse and delight him, which proves how cute Chucky is and how hard he can be to resist.
It's possible to say that this was always the journey that the doll would go on. The best quotes from the Child's Play franchise show that Chucky is hilarious and has a real way with words. He arguably wants people to smile and laugh and think that he's funny as much as he wants to kill them. It's this playfulness that suggests that Chucky has been trending in this charming, fun direction since the very first movie.
The complicated lore of Chucky continues with the TV show as Nica Pierce (Fiona Dourif) and Tiffany Valentine/Jennifer Tilly are a huge part of both seasons 1 and 2. But it's easy to forget about this backstory and focus on how adorable Chucky is and how much he seems to enjoy every day.
Chucky's appearance has also become more lovable, cute and sweet since the first movie. While he always wears the same outfit of a striped shirt and denim overalls, Chucky's cheeks seem even rounder and more innocent in the TV show, and the same thing is true of the 2019 Child's Play reboot. While he is still an excellent character and fans will watch any movie featuring him, along with any future seasons of the SyFy series, it's hard to deny that there have been many changes to this character since he first met a young Andy in 1988.