Seed of Chucky

Most franchise horror sequels are creative voids. They either simply remake the original film, or succumb to an ever-more-desperate series of gimmicks in hopes of wringing a few more bucks out of a stale premise. For that reason alone, I have to hand it to the Chucky films -- nearly twenty years since the original 'Child's Play' in 1988, they've managed to stay surprisingly fresh, witty and inventive. Never was that more the case than with 1998's 'Bride of Chucky' (the fourth film in the series), which brought the franchise completely into the realm of parody, yet was so stylishly satiric that even the genre's harshest critics were forced to begrudgingly admire its cleverness and audacity. 'Bride' was also a big hit at the box office, which of course almost guaranteed another follow-up.

Ironically, the only folks not laughing all the way to the bank after 'Bride of Chucky' was Universal itself. 1998 was a dismal year for the studio, so much so that even with 'Bride's fairly meager gross of $32 million (meager by blockbuster standards, anyway), it was their biggest hit of the season. The fact that a film called 'Bride of Chucky' had been the studio's biggest hit apparently caused Universal so much embarrassment, that -- as Chucky creators Don Mancini and Don Kirshner would loudly complain to the press -- Universal sat on a sequel to 'Bride' for years. That is, until finally in 2004, 'Seed of Chucky' was dropped on the doorsteps of theaters like a bastard stepchild.

Which, thank god, it is. The one good thing about the traditional indifference of the major studios to genre projects is that they usually leave their filmmakers alone. In this case it would seem to be the only explanation for how Kirshner and Mancini were able to spawn such a thoroughly demented, utterly twisted cinematic creation. While the first three 'Child's Play' flicks were straight-ahead horror yarns, and 'Bride' a send-up of classic Universal monster flicks like 'Bride of Frankenstein,' 'Seed' is a motion picture first -- a homage to the Douglas Sirk melodramas of the '50s, masquerading as a slasher-comedy. Throw in a huge heaping of self-referential in-jokes, a dash of post-modern irony, and one fearless performance by a returning Jennifer Tilly, and you have a largely unsuccessful yet utterly fascinating abortion of a movie.

'Seed of Chucky' is certainly the first movie to base its entire premise around doll sperm. Seems Chucky and Tiffany, after the events in 'Bride,' have given birth to their own little bouncing bundle of joy. But when their androgynous spawn doesn't seem to have either boy or girl doll parts, Chucky dubs him "Shitface," and tosses him off to a traveling carnival freakshow. Once the little tyke grows into an adolescent and begins questioning his gender, he/she renames himself/herself Glen/Glenda (just like the Ed Wood movie, get it?). The confusion continues when little Glen(da) escapes, hustles back to Hollywood, and discovers his parents on the set of their own hit slasher movie.

If this sounds complicated, writer-director Mancini tosses off all the exposition in a matter of minutes. His real goal in 'Seed of Chucky' seems to be sending up Hollywood self-importance, and ripping a page right out of 'Wes Craven's New Nightmare,' he has much of his cast playing themselves. Jennifer Tilly returns as... Jennifer Tilly, playing a washed-up B-movie actress stuck playing second fiddle to a puppet. There is also a turn by rapper Redmon playing... a rapper casting his latest opus, a horror flick to star Tilly. And Mancini even has the gumption to have schlock icon John Waters playing an unscrupulous tabloid reporter who will stop at nothing to catch his celebrity prey. (Okay, so it isn't an exactly case of art imitating life, but it's brilliant casting nonetheless.)

Somehow through all of this, Mancini manages to weave all his wildly disparate influences to create a linear, mostly comprehensible film. Tonally, however, 'Seed' does not flow nearly as effortlessly as 'Bride' did, in part because Mancini seems to overestimate the appeal of Glen/Glenda. The creepy looking doll is the real star of the show, not Chucky or Tiffany, both of whom are forced to take back seat during much of the film's first half. It is only when Glen/Glenda's murderous genetic lineage begins to surface -- and Chucky's paternal impulses finally awaken -- that the film gets back on track. Unfortunately, by this point, the whole post-modern thing with Tilly and Redmon feels like a distraction, and the ending, though resolute, isn't particularly satisfying. Although I quite admired Mancini's ambition with this film, ultimately he piles on too many complexities and the whole thing collapses like a house of cards.

Still, despite its considerable flaws, 'Seed of Chucky' remains fun -- especially for film buffs. Mancini's pastiche may be wholly obvious, it's so far-ranging and obscure at times that it's a kick to try to spot the myriad of pop culture references. His clear love for his puppets is also endearing, and the combination of witty dialogue and expert mechanical effects transform Chucky, Tiffany and Glen/Glenda into surprisingly memorable, fully three-dimensional flesh-and-blood characters (sorry, couldn't resist). And while a little Jennifer Tilly goes a long way for most people, she is so game to parody herself (the level of humiliation Mancini gleefully puts her through would certainly make most other celebrities blanche) that it's hard not to admire her gutsiness. 'Seed of Chucky' is no match for 'Bride,' but in today's current horror climate of endless remakes and unimaginative sequels, at least it's a breath of fresh air.