Child's Play 3 (Jack Bender, 1991, USA)

Child’s Play 3 is by far the weakest of the three original Child’s Play films, but perhaps it is the best it could possibly be considering the tight schedule under which it was made. The film was released only nine months after the second film, and the Chucky formula was already beginning to grow stale at this point. Writer Don Mancini does his best to keep the story fresh, accelerating the timeline of events by several years, with Andy now a teenager. Andy is at military school, and this setting choice has divided fans of the franchise, with some finding it inventive, and others finding it ridiculous. 

At the beginning of the film, Chucky realizes that he no longer needs to transfer his soul into Andy’s body. Why Chucky decides to transfer his soul into one of Andy’s younger fellow students at the military school is one of the perplexing questions of the film. He could literally choose to be anyone on the planet, so why he chooses to be this boy is a bit of a stretch. 

Child’s Play 3 also suffers from a number of believability issues in its casting. It is hard to believe that Kristin De Silva is Andy’s age, as she looks much older than him. Likewise, Dean Jacobson as Whitehurst gives no indication that he would have the courage to jump on a grenade to save the members of the military academy.

The film is redeemed in part by its finale, which features a quite spectacular end for Chucky. The finale’s setting - a demonic funhouse - is the perfect place for a confrontation with the killer doll. The ultimate problem with Child’s Play 3 is that while it is thrilling at times, it is never truly scary and not as memorable as the first two films.

5/10