This movie is, as one user previously commented, a bad movie done well. For example, when the batteries fall out of the box, we can see the wheels start turning in Karen's head and everything starting to fall into place. It's not a bad little scene, but it could have been better. Apparently, the original script called for a period of time in which the audience would be unsure whether Andy or Chuckie were committing the murders, and the battery scene would have been the first real evidence that Chuckie was actually alive and a killer. That would have been a wiser move and made for a better movie. Another example of *Child's Play* as bad-movie-done-well is the car scene in which Chuckie tries to kill Mike; this thing goes from patently ridiculous (he had a chance to stop the car in the time between getting out of Chuckie's choke-hold and when Chuckie pushes the accelerator) to genuinely scary when Chuckie is scrambling around outside the car while Mike is trapped inside. That's good stuff.
But it's just sad that all of the human actors--including Chris Sarandon--get upstaged by a foul-mouthed doll. The sardonic and sharp-tongued best friend Maggie is a tired stereotype (even in 1988). By the time the 9 o'clock news rolls around, I didn't really care if she survived or not, which is not a good thing. And Alex Vincent, the kid who plays Andy, is not good at all. His lines are often delivered with what I can only call bewilderment--as if he has no idea what's going on in the scene or in the story. That's not surprising since he was about six years old at the time, so he can't be faulted for it. The movie, however, can (and should be). In the end, there are a lot of horror movies I'd rather watch than this one, but I'd rather watch this than *Jaws 3-D* or *Hellraiser: Bloodlines*.
But it's just sad that all of the human actors--including Chris Sarandon--get upstaged by a foul-mouthed doll. The sardonic and sharp-tongued best friend Maggie is a tired stereotype (even in 1988). By the time the 9 o'clock news rolls around, I didn't really care if she survived or not, which is not a good thing. And Alex Vincent, the kid who plays Andy, is not good at all. His lines are often delivered with what I can only call bewilderment--as if he has no idea what's going on in the scene or in the story. That's not surprising since he was about six years old at the time, so he can't be faulted for it. The movie, however, can (and should be). In the end, there are a lot of horror movies I'd rather watch than this one, but I'd rather watch this than *Jaws 3-D* or *Hellraiser: Bloodlines*.