(CNN) There's another movie opening this weekend about a boy named Andy and his new toy, although nobody should confuse this one with Woody or Buzz. "Child's Play" wasn't crying out for a reboot, but a new version seeks to give the oft-sequel-ized killer doll a modern "Black Mirror" makeover, which is generally as unnecessary as that sounds.

The original Chucky -- unleashed in 1988, before siring a half-dozen sequels -- wasn't exactly a model of creativity, planting a serial killer's consciousness inside the big-eyed doll. The concept gets a "Westworld" twist here, although the reasons behind Chucky's bad behavior are quickly if problematically explained near the outset, through the machinations of a disgruntled employee.

The underlying notion behind the Buddi doll seeks to leverage the increasingly nagging specter of technology running amok. Beyond an attempt to give the movie a fresh coat of paint, the idea provides Chucky with an expanded arsenal, inasmuch as he can tap into a network of devices from the company that made him.

Before all that can happen, there's the little matter of setting things up, with single mom Karen (Aubrey Plaza) bringing home the slightly used doll as a gift to her son Andy (Gabriel Bateman), who's having a tough time adjusting to their new digs.

"I will never leave you," Chucky (voiced by Mark Hamill) assures the kid, after introducing himself as "your new best friend." In other words, you've got a knife-wielding friend in him.

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