TR reviews horror franchises: PUPPET MASTER

[Big DSR Energy]

admin said:

thomasrigby said:

Believe it or not, so did I.

Well, it's certainly better than Retro Puppet Master, Puppet Master: The Legacy and Puppet Master Vs. Wind-Up Chimp With Cymbals.

Hey man, the Wind-Up Chimp was held back because of dah politics!

[The Ichi]

Wasn't there one where the Puppets take over a childrens nursery or something? Just ignore me if I'm being a douche.

[Lick Ness Monster]

And finally this thread has life! Man, I'd been saving Puppet Master for quitea while, and was genuinely saddened when this thread seemed to be dying. Long live cheesy PM madness!

Also, I won't be reviewing PM: The Legacy, as it's essentially just a recap of the series, or "Puppet Master vs. Chimp with Cymbals" (kudos, Madison) as I haven't seen it - I was advised against it.

[Deleted]

The first one and Part 5 are the only ones i've seen. I loved the first movie, but the only thing I can ever remember about part 5 is decapitron.

[Lick Ness Monster]

CURSE OF THE PUPPET MASTER
1998
Director: David DeCoteau

So Full Moon appeared ready to part with its iconic murderous puppets after the famous or infamous totem angle (depending on your viewpoint) with PM 4-5 - but alas, the fan interest had remained very high, so this is what we got four years later...
And I have to say, they could have done a lot worse. David DeCoteau, the director of the second best film in the entire series ("Toulon's Revenge"), returned to helm a brand-new movie that was more character-driven rather than the (supposed) special-effects driven previous two films.
Criminally enough, I actually enjoyed the story of this film. 'Tank' Winsley, the protagonist of the film, is an immensely likable character; he's got no family, is picked on by bullies, and generally unlucky in life. Kind of a rarity from the usual horror movie heroine, or in this series, some sort of advanced scientific researcher.
I also find George Peck extremely effective and even a little chilling as the movie's central character, Dr. Magrew. For those who haven't seen it, the story of this film is that Magrew is some sort of new-age Dr. Frankenstein, who for reasons that are never quite explained feels compelled to create a master-race of human puppets - and there have been experiments already...
For the first time since the first film, I think this entry actually has a few genuinely scary moments, particularly Tank's (who is an expert wood carver in this film, hired by Magrew to carve his own eventual puppet form) nightmare sequences and the discovery of the previous hired hand's puppet form (now that is disturbing - and you know what I mean if you've seen the movie).
I also hasten to point out that Magrew has an attractive daughter who becomes smitten with Tank. Also, criminally enough - I actually enjoyed this plot. Don't even ask me to go into the physics of how this came to be in my own mind - but it happened, and I can't deny it.
Overall, there are a lot of elements in this film that work, including the performances, the story, and what may be the most cringe-worthy murder scene since the first movie. Let's just say that Tunneler's talents are quite useful on the male groin area.
An unapologetically cheesy movie, but also a very entertaining one.

*** / ****

[Mozenrath]

You know, I could accept the puppets as possible threats a lot easier than I could accept Chuckie.

[seano]

I think the first time I ever saw a nude chick in a movie was.....Puppet Master II, I believe. I was, like, 14 or something.

Sadly, my mom was in the room at the time on the phone and almost swore to her own mother when she saw what I was watching.

I haven't seen half of these movies (saw 1 and 2, maybe 3, and that Demonic Toys one) so it may be time to bulk up the ol' Netflix....

[Lick Ness Monster]

RETRO PUPPET MASTER
1999
Director: David DeCoteau

While this movie certainly has many faults, I have to point out firstly that it's worth seeing for being the late, great Guy Rolfe's final turn as Toulon (the older version, anyway). Rolfe is an outstanding actor, and would become the series' definitive Toulon, bringing touches of class and soul to the role. You will be missed, Mr. Rolfe.
Other than that, this is definitely not your typical, cookie-cutter Puppet Master movie. For starters, chronologically speaking, this is actually the first chapter of the saga. We are way back in the nineteenth century for this one, as Mr. Toulon (the younger version played by Greg Sestero) is in Paris, doing his shows night after night. This movie tells the story of his love for Ilsa (who would eventually become Ms. Leech in puppet form), of a sorcerer named Afzel who steals the secret of life, and Toulon's initial battles with Sutek.
The plot is by no means majestic, but along with the acting the movie is more than passable. It's in some of the smaller moments that the movie falls apart. While the look of Retro Blade, Retro Pinhead and the others are pretty cool (and very different from the admittedly stale forms they had become), the half a dozen or so random battle scenes that drag on and on stall the movie somewhat. Lesson learned from "Puppet Master II" - pacing is very important.
This movie became very controversial with fans of the series, as it's much more of a fantasy adventure type of film than the horror film fans were accustomed to. For that, I commend Full Moon and director David DeCoteau (the series' most tenured director, having helmed three of the films) for going out of their comfort zone.
However, these new elements are clearly not DeCoteau's strong points, as, even more than previous installments, the dialogue between Toulon and Ilsa (the movie's main plot point) is very dull and stilted an the cinematography looks very TV-movie esque - not good for a period piece.

** / ****

[Lick Ness Monster]

Alright, now it's time to make some sense of this bitch...

TR's THEORY ON THE CHRONOLOGY OF THE FILMS (including one total cop-out, since it just doesn't fit ;D)
(from earliest to last)
1. Retro - Toulon's very earliest days in Paris, discovering the secret of life
2. Toulon's Revenge - Obvious that this one is next, taking place in nazi Germany in Toulon's days fighting the empire
3. Puppet Master - The psychics descend on the hotel after fifty years
4. Curse of the Puppet Master - my theory - after the events of the first film, Magrew learns of the hotel and steals the puppets
5. Puppet Master 4 - Back at the Inn, as new Puppet Master Rick asserts himself in the series
6. Puppet Master 5 - The last entry chronologically

with...
Puppet Master II taking place in an alternate universe, since it completely contradicts everything that we would see of Toulon in later entries in the series. This would be the aforementioned total cop-out. ;D


TR'S RANKINGS (Puppet Master from best to worst)
1. Puppet Master - one of the best horror films ever, perfectly executed and rising to the state of artistry
2. Toulon's Revenge - The acting in this is excellent, and the story is poignant and well-told
3. Puppet Master II - It may be difficult to explain away, but the "phantom of the opera" element is done very well
4. Curse of the Puppet Master - An enjoyable story, regardless of how cheesy it may be
5. Puppet Master 4 - More of an action-adventure type film, somewhat enjoyable
6. Puppet Master 5 - PM 4-lite. 'Nuff said.
7. Retro - An interesting take, to say the least, but overall the least enjoyable of the series

[Big DSR Energy]

TR'S RANKINGS (Puppet Master from best to worst)
1. Puppet Master - one of the best horror films ever, perfectly executed and rising to the state of artistry
2. Toulon's Revenge - The acting in this is excellent, and the story is poignant and well-told
3. Puppet Master II - It may be difficult to explain away, but the "phantom of the opera" element is done very well
4. Curse of the Puppet Master - An enjoyable story, regardless of how cheesy it may be
5. Puppet Master 4 - More of an action-adventure type film, somewhat enjoyable
6. Puppet Master 5 - PM 4-lite. 'Nuff said.
7. Retro - An interesting take, to say the least, but overall the least enjoyable of the series

I haven't seen 2, 4, or 5. However, I have seen 1, 3, Curse, and Retro. And I pretty much agree with that ranking, although I'm inclined to put Toulon's Revenge above PM1.