much in the same way i called tremors, "graboids" as a kid, child's play has always been "chucky", but in the 'one that started it all', it's catherine hicks, as young andy's mom, that's the real star of this show. she throws herself into the part with scene-stealing gusto, as if child's play was the next rosemary's baby, and she was mia farrow. without hicks, this movie probably wouldn't be as well-remembered as it is. she brings personality and energy to the part, but unlike the parents in say... a nightmare on elm st., she's a much more active and receptive adult figure. if i had to pick a movie mom as my own, she'd be high on the list. parents in horror movies aren't often positive characters, but hick's karen barclay is the exception. also worth mentioning is chris sarandon as a detective mike norris, looking and sounding almost exactly like michael nouri as detective tom beck, from the hidden. which was actually released only one year prior to child's play. it's an interesting fact altogether, even if it's somewhat irrelevant. sarandon is enjoyable in the part, playing it with a requisite amount of game and sardonic disbelief. finally, brad dourif is absolutely chilling as the voice of chucky. his manic performance shines through, thanks in no small part to the special effects team, who managed to make this doll an actual terrifying thing in a horror movie. of course, the film is a near exploitative mess of voodoo rituals, gory killings, and a general lurid atmosphere. you'd be forgiven for overlooking the skillful and creative ways in which the movie builds suspense and tension at a time when most movies would go for the cheap and easy shots. the material often gets in it's own way, obscuring the fact that this is nearly hitchcock levels of mastery. so, sure, this is child's play, but it's definitely no joke.