by Linda Kay

Directed by: Lars Klevberg

This review contains a severe Kitty Carnage Warning!

Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains some spoilers for this film!

Synopsis: A not-really-necessary rehashing of the original Chucky the killer doll movie. A teenaged boy named Andy (Gabriel Bateman) is given an electronic Buddi doll by his mother Karen (Aubrey Plaza); a toy which not only provides AI companionship but has home hub capabilities. Little do they know this particular Buddi has had all of his safety features disabled by a disgruntled employee of the Kaslan Corporation and so violence and chaos soon begin.

Cat Burglar (Scene Stealer): Karen and Andy own a ginger tabby cat named Mickey Rooney (often shortened to just Rooney). The cat is present when Karen returns home from work and gets frustrated when she finds out that Andy not only didn’t unpack some of their moving boxes but also didn’t feed Rooney.

After receiving Buddi, whom they call Chucky, Andy takes the toy into his room and points out Mickey Rooney, calling the cat a “total dick” and warning Chucky not to touch him. “Total dick,” Chucky repeats.

Andy sits down on the bed with Rooney as Chucky sings the Buddi song.

In a later scene, Andy and Chucky are playing a game with Rooney sitting beside the table.

At one point Andy drops a card character which falls next to Rooney. When he reaches down to pick it up the cat scratches him.

Kitty Carnage Warning! Andy curses the cat and leaves to get a bandage. In the background we hear Rooney yowling. When Andy returns to the room he is shocked to see Chucky strangling Rooney. Andy urges him to stop and runs forward just as the cat breaks free and runs from the room.

Moments later Karen’s jerk of a boyfriend, Shane (David James Lewis) enters the room holding Rooney and yells at Andy, saying that the cat is freaked out.

Severe Kitty Carnage Warning! After several incidents Karen locks Chucky inside a cupboard. When Andy returns home from school he finds that the doll has broken out of the cabinet and is standing next to the bloody body of Rooney in the kitchen (not the real cat actor). Andy puts Rooney’s body into a box and throws him down the garbage chute, telling his mom that someone left the door open to explain Rooney’s absence.

The animal coordinator on the film was Ian Doig.

Final Mewsings: Too bad Rooney didn’t use Chucky as a kicker toy.

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