Child's Play 3 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Review

"Child's Play 3" on 4K UHD Blu-ray showcases Scream Factory's meticulous work with a solid new 4K scan from the original camera negative, delivering a notable uptick in detail and clarity. The Dolby Vision and HDR10 grading enhance the visual appeal, offering deeper blacks, richer hues, and brighter highlights, maintaining excellent delineation even in the darkest shadows. The image retains a film-like quality with a medium grain structure, and while not perfect—showing some minor crush and compression issues in darker scenes—the overall presentation is impressive, providing fans with a significant upgrade over previous releases.

The film's inherent '90s horror aesthetic benefits greatly from the improved resolution, presence of finer texture, and well-balanced color saturation. Despite some softer moments, the disc manages to sustain a pleasing visual integrity throughout. The vibrant reds, blues, and yellows of the Good Guys outfit and military uniforms pop vividly, while skin tones maintain a natural consistency, exposing pores, tiny wrinkles, and other minute details. Nuances in various environments—from the military school to the amusement park—are more apparent, making this release a compelling watch.

In areas of sharply defined detail, such as the opening factory scenes or close-ups on facial textures, the 4K UHD presentation offers clarity that almost makes "Child's Play 3" feel newly minted. Although it might not surpass the sharpness of its predecessor "Child's Play 2," this release stands firm with stable black levels and crisper whites. Despite occasional artifacts in grain-heavy scenes, the overall experience is one of enhanced depth and vivid color reproduction, ensuring that this is one Blu-ray upgrade that horror aficionados and series fans alike will appreciate.

The audio presentation of Child's Play 3 on 4K UHD Blu-ray makes effective use of Dolby Atmos, ensuring an immersive and expansive sound experience. Inherited originally from a 2.0 Stereo track, the Atmos upgrade brings a modern edge, offering solid surround dynamics and notable low-frequency extension. The surround channels provide a presence that enhances key moments, like the train scene and the shootout finale, with effects seamlessly panning across the soundstage. Even though there's a slight front-heavy inclination, overall the soundscape remains both dynamic and balanced. The stereo DTS-HD Master Audio track also holds its ground well, particularly for viewers without access to a full Atmos setup.

Musical elements, such as those from composers Cory Lerios and John D'Andrea, benefit significantly from the Atmos treatment, enveloping listeners and integrating well with ambient effects. The score and certain sound effects bleed into the height channels, adding depth without feeling contrived. Dialogue consistently stays clear and center-focused, benefiting from excellent vocal imaging and separation even during louder sequences. However, some reviewers noted that occasionally the dialogue feels flatter than expected given the film's contemporary production timeline.

Additionally, the soundtrack notably refrains from excessive loudness, preferring instead a balanced and natural integration of audio components. While marked by impressive fidelity in musical cues and overall stage saturation, bass extensions—though not overly dominant—bring enough heft to enhance horror elements and action sequences. Overall, this Atmos mix elevates Child's Play 3 by creating an engaging auditory experience that adeptly modernizes its original audio configuration while maintaining fidelity to its 90s aggression and aesthetic.

The 4K UHD Blu-ray edition of "Child’s Play 3" provides an abundant and varied set of extras, making it a valuable acquisition for fans. The new audio commentary by director Jack Bender is insightful, delving into his experiences on the set, while the more subdued commentary from producer Robert Latham Brown still offers noteworthy observations. The Blu-ray disc includes myriad new interviews with key personnel such as writer Don Mancini, actress Perrey Reeves, and producer David Kirschner, each adding rich context to the film’s production history and its reception. Additionally, makeup artist Craig Reardon and production designer Richard Sawyer provide technical details that enhance appreciation for the craftsmanship behind the scenes. The inclusion of additional scenes from the broadcast version, as well as the original trailer and TV spot, round out a comprehensive package of extras.

Extras included in this disc:

NEW! Audio Commentary: Director Jack Bender discusses the film.

Audio Commentary: Producer Robert Latham Brown shares his thoughts on the film.

NEW! Ride the Frightening: An interview with writer Don Mancini.

NEW! War Games: An interview with actress Perrey Reeves.

NEW! Chucky Goes East: An interview with executive producer David Kirschner.

NEW! Carnivals and Campouts: An interview with producer Robert Latham Brown.

NEW! Midway Centurions: An interview with actor Michael Chieffo.

NEW! Shear Terror: An interview with makeup artist Craig Reardon.

NEW! Unholy Mountain: An interview with production designer Richard Sawyer.

NEW! Extra Scenes from the Broadcast TV Version

Theatrical Trailer

TV Spot

"Child's Play 3," directed by Jack Bender and penned by series' writer Don Mancini, continues the saga of the malevolent Chucky doll, albeit with a notable shift in tone that diverges from its predecessors. Shot swiftly after the success of "Child's Play 2," this installment propels the narrative eight years forward, with Andy Barclay (now played by Justin Whalin) struggling to adapt to life in a military school. The relocation of the story to such a setting introduces themes of masculinity and discipline, paradigmatically contrasting with Andy's continued trauma from his encounters with Chucky. These intricate plot twists and character evolutions, however, do little to mitigate the film's somewhat pedestrian feel. Despite having a complex storyline with subplots involving Andy's newfound love interest and his conflicts with bullying cadets, the movie often feels like an overextended TV episode rather than a feature film, resulting in several dull moments.

Technical execution fares no better. While the initial sequence featuring Chucky's resurrection through a pool of melted plastic is creatively stimulating, subsequent scenes tend to fall flat. The kills in this third outing lack the shocking impact of previous films, save for some notably tense sequences like the paintball-to-live-ammunition switch during war games. Despite some commendable efforts in moody camerawork and pacing, these are overshadowed by the tedious plot devices and underwhelming performances, particularly from Travis Fine's lackluster portrayal of Lt. Col. Brett Shelton.

In conclusion, "Child's Play 3" grapples with its rushed production and an overtly ambitious narrative shift, resulting in a project that is generally perceived as the weakest entry in the original franchise. Though it contains some worthwhile moments of tension and horror, these are few and far between, making the film more suitable for die-hard fans than casual viewers. Nonetheless, this 4K UHD release by Shout! Factory ensures that even a less-favored entry receives a high-quality presentation for enthusiasts.

"Child's Play 3," directed by Jack Bender and written by Don Mancini, continues the saga of the notorious killer doll, Chucky. Although this film is often cited as one of the weaker installments in the Child's Play series, Scream Factory's 4K UHD Blu-ray release brings an unparalleled technical upgrade to the movie. With a newly remastered 1.85:1 HEVC video presentation and an engaging Dolby Atmos audio track (mixed from a Dolby TrueHD 7.1 core), this edition is a definitive improvement over previous DVD and Blu-ray releases, offering a notable step-up in both video and audio quality.

The plot picks up eight years after the second film, following Chucky’s continued pursuit of a now-teenaged Andy Barclay while shifting his sinister focus to another potential vessel, the young Tyler. Despite its meandering plot and perceived dullness compared to its predecessors, "Child's Play 3" delivers a unique blend of dark humor and horror, culminating in an entertaining haunted funhouse finale. The UHD package is supplemented with extensive new extras, including interviews and behind-the-scenes features, adding significant value for franchise enthusiasts.

In conclusion, while "Child's Play 3" may be seen as one of the franchise's more lackluster entries, the Scream Factory 4K UHD Blu-ray release elevates the film with pristine visual clarity and robust audio fidelity. The comprehensive additional content, combined with cutting-edge HDR improvements, makes it a worthwhile purchase for collectors and fans of the series.