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M3GAN vs Chucky

M3GAN vs Chucky
VOICE OVER: Rebecca Brayton WRITTEN BY: Nick Spake
It's time to decide which horror movie doll reigns supreme! For this video, we're pitting these killer movie dolls against each other to see who's more cutting edge, emphasis on the “cutting.” Our video includes such categories as Backstory, Motivation, Tech, and more!

M3GAN vs. Chucky


Welcome to WatchMojo, and in this installment for Versus, M3GAN is facing off with Chucky.

For this video, we’re pitting these killer movie dolls against each other to see who’s more cutting edge, emphasis on the “cutting.” This entails a few spoilers.

Which doll makes you fear playtime the most? Let us know in the comments.

Round 1: Backstory


“M3GAN” is a classic “Frankenstein” story with a cybernetic twist. Developed by Allison Williams’ Gemma and her two colleagues, M3GAN isn’t merely a toy. She’s a sophisticated android who will befriend and look after your child. This backfires for a few reasons, however. As comforting as M3GAN can be, it’s unhealthy to substitute a parent with a robot, no matter how lifelike she is. It can also be deadly, as M3GAN is programmed to protect Gemma’s niece Cady by any means necessary, which she sees as a loophole to break the first law of robotics: don’t harm humans.


The 2019 “Child’s Play” remake depicts Chucky as an AI doll who, like M3GAN, starts off as a helpful companion before picking up murderous habits. Where the remake is grounded in technology, Chucky’s original backstory is closer to fantasy. As Charles Lee Ray’s body expires in a toy store, he executes a voodoo ritual and transfers his consciousness into a Good Guy doll. When a boy named Andy acquires the doll, the roles are reversed as Chucky manipulates his young owner. It’s admittedly a silly setup, but that’s kind of what you want from a late 80s slasher film.

While M3GAN’s backstory is more practical (by evil doll movie standards), Chucky’s is more memorable. Although “Child’s Play” creator Don Mancini wasn’t a fan of the voodoo element, he acknowledged that many viewers love this part of Chucky’s backstory. It’s ridiculous yet creepy, which matches the franchise’s tone. Congrats, Chucky, you win this round.

M3GAN 0 / Chucky 1

Round 2: Motivation


Weirdly enough, M3GAN is arguably a more maternal figure than Gemma for much of the film. She reads Cady stories, consoles her following the death of her parents, and puts her needs first while Gemma struggles to adjust to parenthood. M3GAN’s transition from plaything to killer also feels natural. At first, she targets vicious dogs and straight-up evil little boys who mean Cady harm. The murders gradually get more senseless as M3GAN becomes more possessive of Cady. By the time Cady turns on her, M3GAN is more concerned with self-preservation, going through a surprisingly layered arc.

To become human again, Chucky must transfer his soul to Andy, the first person he revealed himself to. This motivation is enough to sustain one movie, but it becomes repetitive in the sequels. Although Andy is eventually taken out of the picture, the franchise continues to recycle the same motivation, albeit with a few new additions like Chucky’s pursuit of love and offspring. Yeah, it gets weird. The 2019 reboot drops the human body objective, reimagining Chucky as a high-tech doll who seeks to make Andy happy and preserve their friendship. Chucky might be sympathetic in this version if only he still had safety protocols, enabling him to natively mimic his violent surroundings.

While Chucky’s motivation in the original films is pretty straightforward, the 2019 film tries to give the character more depth and an element of tragedy. We think “M3GAN” handles this angle better, though, making the audience almost root for the killer doll until she starts taking things too far. Even when she does take it too far, a lot of her victims had it coming. Point, M3GAN.

M3GAN 1 / Chucky 1

Round 3: Tech


Only a few years ago, a creation like M3GAN might’ve seemed like pure science fiction. If you’ve been following robots like Sophia, though, you know just how eerily realistic AI is becoming. M3GAN reflects the uncanny valley state of robotics, which is equally awe-inspiring and unnerving. In “M3GAN,” it’s mainly unnerving. Given her link to the digital world, M3GAN can quickly absorb information, be it the complex nature of death or the latest TikTok trends. She can also manipulate the devices around her, which could be elaborated on in potential sequels based on how the film ends. She’s the killer doll of the future, today!

You can tell the first “Child’s Play” was made in the late 80s based on Chucky’s appearance. While the doll possesses echoes of Teddy Ruxpin and Cabbage Patch Kids, his design was primarily inspired by the My Buddy dolls. In the original script, his name was even Buddy. Although Chucky possesses a demented retro charm, his tech might be a little too dated for today’s audiences. The 2019 film gave Chucky an overdue update, supplying him with an AI feature and the ability to connect with other products. The smart doll tech comes with a redesign, although it remains mostly faithful to the original’s appearance.

Whether you prefer the old-school or modern Chucky, M3GAN is the more impressive villain on a technological level. Where Chucky always feels like a doll, M3GAN traverses the thin line between human and robot, leaving us to wonder if technology has gone too far. M3GAN upgrades to another point.

M3GAN 2 / Chucky 1

Round 4: Who’s Scarier


Just staring into M3GAN’s oversized eyes is enough to give us the heebie-jeebies. When M3GAN starts moving around, the film easily could’ve grown too campy for its own good. However, actress Amie Donald’s body language as M3GAN strikes an unsettling balance between mechanical and humanoid. If there’s one thing holding M3GAN back, it’s a PG-13 rating. M3GAN’s body count consists of five humans and one dog with much of the violence taking place off-screen. While the power of suggestion works well enough, it does feel like something is missing. Although the kills could’ve been more brutal, M3GAN’s threatening one-liners leave a mark regardless.

Having appeared in several movies and a TV series, Chucky’s had more time to rack up a higher body count. Even if we just take the first “Child’s Play” into account, Chucky deserves bonus points for creativity, offing his victims using hammers, knives, and electroshock therapy. Chucky has also kept things R-rated over the years, opening the door for bloodier spectacles. More gore doesn’t automatically make something scarier, but the fact that Chucky is a serial killer does up the fear factor. As over-the-top as Chucky can be, he’s capable of dishing out subtle scares like when Karen finds his batteries. He knows how to go out in a horrifying blaze of glory too.

When it comes to scares, M3GAN feels more retrained than Chucky, who holds nothing back in the creep department. He may be shorter, but Chucky proves that sometimes the scariest things come in small packages. The winner of this round, Chucky.

M3GAN 2 / Chucky 2

Round 5: Humor


Although some find the idea of a killer doll terrifying, others see it as just plain goofy. “M3GAN” realizes this and thus doesn’t take itself too seriously. M3GAN may be menacing, but that doesn’t mean she can’t spout savage quips, dance through hallways, and deliver the most memorable rendition of “Titanium” since “Pitch Perfect.” She also paves the way for clever satire concerning consumerism and poor parenting. For all the laughs, “M3GAN” avoids becoming a straight-up comedy. The titular character balances humor and dread with voice actress Jenna Davis molding M3GAN into a cross between Aileen Wuornos and Barbie.

While it may be on the sillier side for contemporary audiences, the original “Child’s Play” never forgot it was a slasher movie. Chucky emerged as the killer doll equivalent of Freddy Krueger, armed with a joke to go with every kill. Like Freddy, though, Chucky veered too much into comedy as the franchise continued. It got to the point where Chucky was a cartoon with the humor being more distracting than anything else. The 2019 film tried bringing the series back to its more serious roots, although some of the original’s humor was lost in the process. Still, when you have actors like Brad Dourif and Mark Hamill in the role, every film is good for at least a few laughs.

Time will only tell if the “M3GAN” franchise will become more associated with humor than horror or if some of the references will be dated. For now, though, M3GAN finds just the right balance between self-ware comedy and legitimate thrills, which is what you look for in a killer doll movie. Chucky is a legend, but M3GAN hits the ground running with chuckles, chills, and kills. With three points, M3GAN is the must-have (or we guess must-avoid) toy.

M3GAN 3 / Chucky 2
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