Then two months ago I decided to finally give these movies a whirl. So, began the Puppet Master marathon. I didn't necessarily expect to love all of these films as much as I loved Waxworks or any of the mainstream horror franchises we've all come to adore, but I did expect to enjoy them more than I did. I've been appalled at how tedious the series got after only a few films. The stories were trite, the dialogue poorly written, the actors extremely lacking, and the special effects cheap and lazy. Luckily the movies weren't a complete loss overall.
This final entry on the collection turned out to be a breath of fresh air at the end of the dark and dingy tunnel. After the utter laziness as displayed in the previous film it was nice to see the filmmakers put money and effort into Axis of Evil. It was apparent right from the start that the acting had improved as well as the screen writing. The opening scene between the uncle and his nephew set me at a comfortable ease about the film . Finally, the writers had managed to compose of characters that I at lest felt a slight connection to. These people had real desires and hopes to fight for.
The basic story revolves around a young man who desires greatly to join in the ranks of World War II. Unfortunately, he had polio as a child and is therefore a cripple. He wants nothing more than to find a way to serve in his own right. Then, when he finds Tulon's Puppets he realizes he may have a place in this war. Long story short, he utilizes the puppets to take down enemy spies in his home town. Thus, he proves himself as a worthy soldier in the war, even at great sacrifice.
The movie was generic and the characters alright, but at least it was watchable, unlike some of the monstrosities that covered the middle numbers in this series. I sat through the movie without having the desire to dig my eyeballs from the sockets in thick bloody layers.
The puppets themselves don't jump into action until much later in the film. However, I didn't notice because I was interested enough in the actual story independent of the puppets. This shows that the film had some decent writing and acting. Obviously there were lines here and there that made me cringer, or clichés that were so ugly and obvious. But these elements weren't glaring enough to distract me. So I enjoyed the movie but wouldn't watch it again soon . . . if ever.
Summing it Up
Deaths: 6
Language: 1
Gore Factor: 2
Sex Factor: 0
Scare Factor: 1
Fun Factor: 2
Overall Rating: 2