Netflix'ns: Puppet Master vs. Demonic Toys

Netflix'ns is a series of review shorts of films, new and old, seen on Netflix, be it DVD or streaming. For better or worse, I sat through these films and have lived to tell the tale. These are not so much reviews as just comments on the film watched. Some will be first time views, others will be revisits. This is a work in progress.



I've said it before and I'll say it again, movies of this sort take a certain type of person to enjoy. It takes someone who is willing to wade through all manner of slow, boring, poorly crafted dreck to find the ones that hit on that right combination of energy and skill to make it work. The original Puppet Master was one of those that worked. Sadly, Puppet Master vs. The Demonic Toys does not.

This film continues a pair of Full Moon Pictures most popular franchises, but it is not actually part of either series canon. Why? It was no made by Full Moon and Charles Band had no involvement. It is, essentially, a knock off. The resulting product is uninspired and poor even by Full Moon standards. The Puppets and Toys are all replicas, with Blade being the closest in appearance to the real thing.

The story follows Robert Toulon (Corey Feldman), the great grandnephew of Andre Toulon, and his daughter Alexandra. They have finally figured out the life-giving formula and have resurrected the original dolls. Meanwhile. the CEO of Sharpe toys (Vanessa Angel) is making deals with demons and is trying to gain possession of the Toulon puppets, with the help of the Demonic Toys.

Originally airing on SciFi Channel (now SyFy), this movie is just dull and uninspired. It borrows some of the story to Halloween III: Season of the Witch, melds it with the Puppet Master mythos in the event of making something entertaining, but it just feels rushed and half baked.

I will say this in its defense, at least it did not take the same route as Dollman vs. Demonic Toys which relied heavily on footage from earlier films. At least Puppet Master vs. Demonic Toys used original footage. Granted, the dolls and toys are not given all that much to do and never actually interact... Maybe I should take that back and wish it was made of archival footage.

This entry is for completists only.