Plot: What’s it about?
Chucky and his bride Jennifer have been out of action for a while now, but their previous mayhem was the stuff of legend. As a result, Hollywood has decided to bring Chucky to the big screen in grand fashion, with a cast that includes the beautiful Jennifer Tilly. Her recent efforts have been less than successful, but she is convinced that her role in Chucky Goes Psycho will be a smash. In order to add some realism to the production, the dolls of Chucky and Jennifer are used in the shoot, which sparks a chain reacton of violence. Their estranged son Glen sees his parents on television and quickly flees to their side. Glen uses ancient magic to bring his parents back and soon enough, chaos has been unleashed. Both parents are quite proud, but Glen is neither a boy nor a girl, so the situation is complex. But Chucky has a plan, as he wants to impregnate Jennifer Tilly and provide Glen with a sibling for a companion. As the violence erupts, will Chucky’s sick plan be put into motion, or is this yet another curtain call for the living doll of death?
The sequel is a wicked tool, especially in horror cinema, as a great movie can often yield a series of less than impressive sequels. Child’s Play, for example, was a smash hit that genre fans fell in love with, but the two sequels never lived up to that standard. But then Bride of Chucky was unleashed, a movie that not only matched the original, but surpassed it in all respects. The success of Bride of Chucky spawned Seed of Chucky, but could lightning strike twice in one franchise? This is not on the same level of Bride of Chucky, but Seed of Chucky is a notch or two above the usual sequel. Jennifer Tilly returns and as always, Chucky is fun to watch, though he isn’t as prominent this time around. The focus is on outrageous gore and black humor, which results in a movie that is fun to watch from start to finish. Not as consistent as Bride of Chucky, but more than solid and a good addition to this franchise. This Unrated Version sports an extended cut of the movie, plus some exclusive supplements, so make sure you snatch this edition.
Video: How does it look?
Seed of Chucky is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. The print has some light grain at times, due to the stock used, but aside from that, no defects in the least. The image is sharp throughout, so detail is high and the visuals have a lot of depth. The visuals are brighter than in most horror movies, but the contrast never disappoints. The black levels never falter in the least, with refined and stark presence at all times. The colors look good, but lack the brightness the visuals seem to call for. In the end, Universal has given us a more than solid visual presentation, so fans should be most satisfied with this treatment.
Audio: How does it sound?
In a most welcome move, Universal has included both Dolby Digital and DTS soundtracks, so audiphiles will be thrilled here. I found the DTS option to be the better of the tracks, with tighter overall presence and cleaner, crisper bass, but both offer a terrific experience. The surrounds are alive from start to finish here, with lots of eerie background fodder, as well as the hard rock music and of course, Chucky’s mayhem to spark up the speakers. I never had any trouble with dialogue here, with vocals coming through in solid form at all times. This disc also includes subtitles in English, French, and Spanish.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Not one, but two audio commentary tracks are present, the first with director Don Mancini and the second with Macini again, only this time with puppet master Tony Gardner. The first session is laid back, with Tilly on her game with some great stories and recollections. Mancini plays off her well and has some nice tidbits, but he lets Tilly be more vocal, which is good news. The second session is more technical, as Mancini and Gardner talk about how the characters were updated for this sequel. I found this to be a candid, in depth discussion of what went into some of the production side of the picture. You can also watch a deleted scene, watch Tilly’s skit from The Tonight Show, and even check out a cool interview with Chucky himself. The rest of the extras includes a couple of brief behind the scenes featurettes, a Chucky slide show, Tilly’s production diary, an insider facts trivia track, and the film’s teaser and theatrical trailers.
