Bride of Chucky came out 7 years after Child’s Play 3. Enough time had passed and people were hyped. The funny thing is that this film takes place one month after Child’s Play 3. The time away allowed time for people to get nostalgic and it allowed the writers to put together a good script and get some real talent involved. They brought in Jennifer Tilly, John Ritter, Alexis Arquette, Katherine Heigl, and even Kathy Najimy. The soundtrack had Rob Zombie and Powerman 5000 which is very cool for the brothers. And they did a great job promoting this film. They even brought Chucky on WCW Nitro to interrupt a promo involving Mean Gene and Rick Steiner to promote Bride of Chucky and to give props to Scott Steiner. Fantastic stuff.
I know this film is littered with plenty of awesome references and I will probably miss some along the way. I plan on kicking back and enjoying this one. I haven’t seen Bride of Chucky in many years and this should be fun. This is relatively well-liked within the horror community, I think. Ohhh, and Ronny Yu directed this and Freddy Vs Jason.
Star Film
There are a lot of horror films from this particular era that look and sound very similar. We start off in an evidence locker room at the Lockport Police Dept. Evidence Depository. Lots of good references here. The obvious ones are Jason’s Mask, Leatherface’s chainsaw, Michael’s mask, and Freddy’s glove. One may argue that the crate in there is a nod to Creepshow. I hope that is true. Officer Bailey has taken something from the locker and is going to meet up with Tiffany. He gets his throat slit by Tiffany, and she is looking fine. I love Jennifer Tilly, so no surprise. Inside the bag that Bailey got was parts of a Good Guys doll. Nice, “Living Dead Girl” is playing. Tiffany is Charles’ ex-lover and she stitches together the Good Guy doll.
We meet David Collins, Jade (Katherine Heigl), and her uncle, Chief Warren Kincaid (John RItter). David is into figure skating and theater. They leave to go on a date. In the car, we meet Jesse, who Jade is actually into. Warren told one of his cop friends that they just left and they get pulled over.
Tiffany is going to perform a voodoo ritual, the same one that Charles performed. But it doesn’t bring Chucky back. This goth looking dude named Damien (Alexis Arquette) shows up. Damen tries to pretend that he killed someone by showing a bloody polaroid, but it is was just Damien. Oh, and Chucky has disappeared. She asks Damien to look under the sofa for her lipstick. Her pet tarantula named Charlotte falls on his face. Damien really wants to fuck, but Chucky shows up next to Tiffany. Tiffany handcuffs Damien to the bed. Time for a ménage a trois. She places Chucky on top of Damien so they can watch her dance. Damien makes a reference to hoping that Chucky isn’t the type of doll that wets its pants, just like the cop in Child’s Play 2. Tiffany explains how she used to live with Charles and how jealous Chucky used to be. Chucky just did the head spin straight out of The Exorcist. Then he rips the jewelry from Damien’s face and then smothers him to death.
The officer is giving all three a breathalyzer test. The Chief shows up. The Chief hates Jesse and threatens to fuck him over on some blood tests.
Tiffany made Chucky some Swedish meatballs. Tiffany has been wearing this ring for the past 10 years thinking that Chucky was going to ask him to marry her, but he took it off of a lady’s corpse to sell. It was worth about 5 grand. Tiffany is pissed. Chucky was never going to marry her and her heart is broken. He wants her to get him out of this doll’s body, and she plans on keeping him locked in a crib. She has a good cry and listens to “Crazy” like the old Patsy Cline song, but definitely not her singing. Apparently, Willie Nelson originally wrote that song.
Jesse clearly needs to hit the gym. He lives near Tiffany. She stuck Damien’s body into a trunk or chest. While Jesse is helping, Chucky is screaming. Tiffany is definitely flirting with Jesse. Chucky has spelled out “Kill Tiffany slow” with the letter blocks. And the toy asks him to spell woman and he keeps spelling bitch. All of this is kinda humorous. This was a shoutout to Texas Chainsaw Massacre III, I believe. Tiffany brought Chucky a nice gift. She bought him a bride doll. And this is how we get the title, Bride of Chucky.
Tiffany is in the tub watching the news about the deaths of Bailey and Damien. She then switches the channel to Murder She Wrote. Then to The Bride of Frankenstein. Chucky is breaking out of the crib. He is bringing his bride doll with him. He gets a nice knife. He makes his attack and she kicks him away. So he pushes the TV in and causes her to get shocked. Now he performs the ritual on her. SO many bubbles. Tiffany’s body pops up quickly and then falls as the bride doll comes to life. She is pissed. Some good toy jokes about G.I. Joe and Raggedy Ann. Tiffany is trying to find out how to unfuck this situation. They need an amulet that was around Charles’ neck when he was burning in New Jersey. Why Jersey? He died in Chicago. I need more information. Tiffany calls Jesse and asks him to mail the two dolls to Jersey. Now we get a Tiffany makeover montage to “Call Me”. The got her with blond hair, makeup, boots, and a Barbie reference. Jesse goes to make the delivery.
Jade and David talk about his former boyfriend. Jesse shows up to see Jade. Jesse asks her to marry him tonight. The dolls are funny during this scene. They definitely had fun making this film. Jade accepts. Chucky gives them 6 months or 3 if she gains weight. Chief is there and trying to get in the van. Chucky wants to go stab Warren, but Tiffany mocks him for being too old school with the knife. He then goes for a hammer but she says that’s predictable. That is a nod to the original Child’s Play. Tiffany finds a jar with large nails in it. That is the answer, apparently. Warren breaks into the van. Tiffany makes some noise and Warren checks on it. This allows Chucky to send a bunch of nails into Warren’s face. Chucky asks why that looks so familiar, and we have a nice nod to Hellraiser. Chucky calls Tiffany an amateur. The kids are coming back so they put Warren’s body in the trunk and the dolls clean up the mess. Aww, Jade reaches over and unlocks the van door. That is straight out of A Bronx Tale. I know, I know, too much useless info.
They go to leave and an officer pulls them over. I just made oatmeal but it came out too watery. I’m not Kentertained. Officer Norton has pulled them over. Jade is angry with Norton and then punches him. Chucky and Tiffany are smoking weed in the van. Norton inspects the van. Before he can see the body, Chucky throws the bag of weed. Chucky gets a lighter and a shirt and is going to take care of Norton. He puts the shirt in the gas tank, lights it up, and accidentally drops the lighter, then flips off some stoner. There’s a big explosion. Jesse and Jade take off amidst the chaos with only one stupid bitch accusing them of anything.
Jade and Jesse are accusing each other of the explosion. David calls to see what the fuck is happening. The lighter was found that was Bailey’s, and Warren has gone missing. They are near Niagara Falls. Jade and Jesse stop long enough to get married. Tiffany doesn’t want them to break up. Chucky puts on some Thunderkiss 65 on the radio. Such a good song. Chucky and Tiffany are talking about surprises and then Warren wakes up. Chucky unleashes the knife this time.
In the motel room, they watch the news. The plan is to deliver the dolls and collect the supposed $500 waiting for them. Russ and Diane come in unexpectedly. Diane loves the Tiffany doll but not the Chucky one. Diane is stealing from them and trying to have group sex. Tiffany is unhappy by the thieving slut. This movie has a lot of attractive women at the very least, depending on your tastes, of course. Russ and Diane have sex and they see Tiffany and she then throws a bottle into the ceiling mirror. Shit got real. Chucky professes his love for her. He grabs the severed finger that had Diane’s ring on it. Then Chucky proposes. He accepts being the Bride of Chucky. Tiffany is suddenly able to cry and Chucky is turning into Pinocchio. Awww yeah, some puppet sex. This is some Team America stuff right here, fuck yeah.
Jesse wakes up and leaves. Jade calls David and doesn’t know what to do. David gets a call from Jesse. Haha. David suggests that both go to the police. The Motel Maid (Kathy Najimy of King of the Hill fame) finds the bodies. Time for Jesse and Jade to get the hell out of there. They get yelling at each other and David shows up. David smells something awful. He also suggests that perhaps Warren is the killer. Then he sees the blood and opens up the compartment where Warren is. David grabs the gun and demands that they pull over. David is out of the van and tries to get the attention of a cop. Then Chucky and Tiffany pull out guns like they’re in Pulp Fiction. In typical fashion for that time period, David backs up into the road and is splattered by a tractor-trailer. How many times was that cliche used? Also, which film did it first? That truck driver looked like Sting.
They drive away as Chucky shoots at the cop. Chucky and Tiffany explain how they are dolls and Chucky says that if this was a movie, it would probably take 3 or 4 sequels just to tell it. A George and Weezy reference. Delightful They really should have done a Three’s Company reference. The radio says that Charles’ fingerprints have been found at the crime scenes so no his body will be exhumed.
They have now stolen an RV and killed the 2 owners. Tiffany does Jade’s makeup and made Swedish meatballs and baked some cookies. Jesse fucks with Chucky about how Tiffany is a bad housekeeper and Jade does likewise with Tiffany. It’s been a theme throughout the film. Tiffany and Chucky get into a big argument. The argument is hilarious. Then Jade kicks Tiffany and Jesse swerves and Chucky flies out the window and fires his gun. That seemed a bit unnecessary. Tiffany is baking in the oven. Jesse was knocked out and Jade is still tied to the chair. Tiffany escapes the oven and bites Jade’s ear. Jesse makes the save. There is fuel leaking and loose live electrical wires. It’s pure fuckery. Then we get a big explosion.
Chucky has Jade carrying him to his grave and then Jesse grabs Tiffany. Chucky kills the man digging up the grave. There’s the amulet. She breaks his neck to take it off. Now Jesse and Chucky are having a gun showdown. They exchange hostages. This is kinda funny. Lots of good laughs in this film. Chucky refuses to catch Tiffany and opts to throw a knife into Jesse’s back. Now Chucky has both guns and ties Jade and Jesse up. It’s time for the ritual. Tiffany and Chucky kiss. Tiffany steals his knife and stabs him. She says that they belong together in Hell. J & J kiss. Now Tiffany and Chucky are having a shovel fight. Chucky gets the upper hand and stabs Tiffany. Jesse hits Chucky into his own grave. An officer shows up and sees a crazed Chucky. Jade steals his gun and shoots Chucky a few times proclaiming that he would be back. He always returns.
The officer sends J & J home and then he finds Tiffany on the ground. She wakes up screaming in pain. Her belly is moving and some blood shoots out of her and she has a baby. The baby attacks the officer.
End film.
This was so much better than part 3 and even part 2. This was just a lot of fun while adding some layers to the story. We were no longer worried about Andy. They moved beyond that and freed themselves to make sequels that could practically stand on their own. That alone is an achievement.
At times, the jokes may have been a bit cheesy, but horror is well known for that and this hit more than it missed. The arguments between Chucky and Tiffany were the highlights of the film, for me. Jade and Jesse weren’t bad as the otherwise boring couple. I do wish that Warren had more screen time, but he was awesome in his limited time. The kills were fun. This felt like a complete horror film with some romance. We didn’t have a stupid final girl. And they set up the following movie very nicely.
It wasn’t perfect, but it was entertaining as hell. I assume this will be my second or third favorite in the franchise when I am finished. I had a great time and would recommend this film to horror fans. You don’t need to know much about the franchise history to really have fun.
One final tidbit that I got from IMDB. “There was a planned album of love songs featuring Brad Dourif and Jennifer Tilly singing as their doll counterparts, Chucky and Tiffany. It’s revealed in the movie commentary that Tiffany was to sing Killing Me Softly With His Song, Chucky was intended to sing House of the Rising Sun and the two were to share a duet of Hit the Road Jack.” I would have thoroughly enjoyed that.
Rating: 7.2 – This wasn’t as good as the original, but only by a hair, an invisible hair. The camerawork and pacing of the original was so good. The dialogue, jokes, and kills were better here.
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