1998 Bride of Chucky

Spoiler-Free Judgment Zone

This one fully crosses over into dark comedy with horror elements, embracing the silliness of the series. It was a lot of fun, moves well, has good effects and a decent cast. We enjoyed it. 

Spoilery Synopsis

We open at the police station, in the evidence repository room. There’s a Michael Myers mask in there and a Jason mask. The cop opens a locker and grabs a plastic bag with something in it. He drives away through the storm. He calls a woman on the phone, “I’m on my way, and don’t forget my money!” Bailey, the cop, parks and waits for the woman, but he’s also very curious about what’s in the bag. He tears it open and dies for his nosiness. The woman kills him, and we see that she’s Tiffany, who looks a lot like Jennifer Tilly. Inside the bag is what’s left of Chucky’s face. Credits roll. Tiffany then goes home and sews up a new doll. She sews the old face onto it. He’s still a mess after the events of the previous film

David Collins goes to Jade’s house and meets Warren, her policeman uncle. The uncle calls someone as soon as they leave. David’s clearly gay and he’s only there to fool Warren. She’s way more interested in Jesse, who’s hiding in the back seat. Lt. Norton pulls them over. “Gotcha!” Police Chief Warren soon shows up to take Jade home. 

Meanwhile, Tiffany creates a pentagram and reads “Voodoo for Dummies.” She reads from the book and does the spell that reanimates Chucky. It doesn’t work. Her goth friend, Damien, stops over, and he’s a wanna-be killer, or at least a makeup artist. Tiff turns her head and notices the doll is gone. Chucky turns up, and she says he’s the actual doll from “those murders.” “He isn’t scary. He’s so… 80’s.” Damien throws him across the room. Tiff then tricks Damien into getting tied up on the bed, but he doesn’t get what he was expecting. Tiff explains that she used to be Charles Lee Ray’s girlfriend, and he used to be the jealous type. She does a sexy dance that awakens something in… both of them. Chucky comes to life and kills Damien, much to Tiffany’s pleasure. 

Tiffany admits it’s been ten years that she’s been looking for him. He says she looks great, but she doesn’t say the same about him; he’s a scarred-up mess. She thought he was going to ask her to marry him, but he laughs at the idea. He wants out of the doll’s body, but she locks him in a cage instead. She may be even crazier than he is. “Now it’s payback time!”

In the morning, Jesse, from the misadventure the night before, helps Tiffany to load a big crate into her car. The crate, of course, holds what’s left of Damien. He loads it into her car, and she flirts with him. 

Tiffany goes out and buys a “Bride” doll that’s about Chucky’s size. “You are so dead,” he threatens. Tiffany watches “Bride of Frankenstein”  on TV. Meanwhile, Chucky saws his way out of the cage. There’s a very short battle, but Tiffany ends up dead. Out for revenge, Chucky uses his Voodoo powers to move Tiffany’s soul into the bride doll. The Tiffany doll wakes up and screams. 

Chucky says they need the Amulet of Damballa in order to change back into humans. It was buried with his human body so many years ago. She calls Jesse and offers him money to drive two dolls to New Jersey. He does as instructed and drives them to the cemetery– but first, he stops and picks up Jade. As the teenage drama goes on outside the van, Chucky and Tiff listen and mock them. 

As Jesse and Jade go inside to pack her things, Warren checks out Jesse’s van which is parked outside. “He’s screwing with our ride.” Tiff goads Chucky into being more creative than simply using a knife. Chucky drives dozens of nails into Warren’s head; he looks like a pincushion. “Why does that look so familiar?” he asks. 

Lt. Norton pulls the van over, he knows what his boss wants and is always looking for suck-up points. He finds the drugs that Warren hid in the back, but doesn’t see Warren’s body in the back. Needing to protect his ride, Cucky takes things into his own hands and blows up Norton’s car. Jesse and Jade get back in their van and drive away. Tiffany and Chucky admire the carnage as they drive away. David calls; Jesse and Jade are all over the news, wanted as serial killers. 

They drive to Niagara Falls so they can get married. The little plastic couple in the car get a surprise, as Warren’s not as dead as they thought. Somehow, their motel room is a shared suite without another couple, Diane and Russ, and they recognize the dolls. Are they up for a four way? 

Diane steals Jesse’s money, and only Tiffany notices. She finds a really creative way to kill them, enough so that Chucky pulls the ring off Diane’s severed finger and offers to marry Tiffany. It’s all very romantic, sorta. She cries and then wonders if all her plumbing works. He points out that he’s anatomically correct, and then we get what may be the weirdest sex scene in all of cinema history. 

Jade calls David; she’s pretty sure that Jesse is the serial killer. David gets a call on the other line from Jesse, who thinks that Jade is the serial killer. In the morning, after the neighbors’ bodies are found, they confront each other about the murders. Then David shows up, and he tries to make peace between the two. David suggests that maybe Warren could be the serial killer– until he finds Warren’s body in the back. Now he thinks the couple are serial killers as well. The two dolls pull guns, and David gets hit by a truck as the police start chasing their van. 

Chucky shoots the police car as they head into New Jersey. Chucky asks if the human couple has any questions. The two dolls now want to take over Jesse and Jade’s bodies. The radio reports that Charles Lee Ray’s fingerprints have been found at two crime scenes, so the police are going to exhume his body. 

On the way to New Jersey in a stolen RV, Chucky and Tiff argue over doing the dishes. She insults his “manhood,” and the humans take the opportunity to fight back. Tiff ends up in the oven, and Chucky gets ejected completely. Tiffany gets out of the oven, but she doesn’t look so good. The whole RV explodes and everyone runs down the road to the cemetery. 

At the cemetery, one lone medical examiner is there, digging up Ray’s grave by hand. At gunpoint, Chucky orders Jade to open the coffin. It’s not a pretty sight, but the amulet that Chucky wants is still there. Chucky and Jesse do a prisoner swap for the two girls. Chucky is grossed out by what’s left of Tiffany, but he ties up the two humans and starts the ritual to take over their bodies. Tiffany then stabs Chucky in the back; “We belong dead,” she says. The two dolls brutally fight it out; Tiffany loses.

Jesse knocks Chucky into his own grave just as the detective arrives. Jade shoots Chucky repeatedly, and slides back down into Charles Lee Ray.s coffin. The detective calls the station and says Jesse and Jade didn’t do it and lets them leave. Detective Preston then kneels over Tiffany and pokes the burnt-up doll. Then she sits up and screams as a baby pops out and attacks him. 

Brian’s Commentary

This is where Chucky went from tongue-in-cheek slasher to full-on comedic masterpiece, a change, and a storyline that continues through all the rest of the movies and TV series. Fully embracing the franchise-hood of Chucky, Michael Myers, Jason, and even Pinhead make cameos– sorta. There’s also more than one “Bride of Frankenstein” reference. 

Depending on your view of the humor aspect, this is either the best or the worst of the Chucky series. I know I’ve seen it a bunch of times. “Voodoo For Dummies” always gets me!

Kevin’s Commentary

This was a lot of fun, far more comedy than horror, fully moving away from serious scares and suspense in the first films. I liked it quite a bit, and it leads the way for more movies to come as well as the television series.

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