Directed By: Sunny Laguna & Tommy Wiklund
Written By: Z. Craig Zehler
Based on Characters Created By: Charles Band & Kenneth J. Hall
Cast: Thomas Lennon, Barbara Crampton, Michael Pare, Nelson Franklin, Betsy Holt, Charlyne Yi, Udo Kier, Skeeta Jenkins
Recently divorced and reeling, Edgar returns to his childhood home to regroup his life. When Edgar finds a nefarious looking puppet in his deceased brother's room, he decides to sell the doll for some quick cash. Girl-next-door Ashley and and comic book pal Markowitz join Edgar for a doomed road trip to an auction at a convention celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the infamous Toulon Murders. All hell breaks loose when a strange force animates the puppets at the convention, setting them on a bloody killing spree that's motivated by an evil as old as time.
If you are a fan of the original franchise of films. This is a quality reboot of the series. Only switching the puppets from being seen more as heroes built to combat against nazis and evil doers to actually being told of the Nazis and actually the villains. Hell of a switch.
The film seems to go for shock value more then anything else in violence. Not only In what it will show but how far they are willing to push the envelope with it’s willingness to kill children, babies and pregnant women. Which is where these films go for overkill and cease to be less campy and more gore focused.
Here most of the victims are people of color or at least more their intended victims. As most of the second half of the film is more s siege Tim as the dolls try to infiltrate and kill the hotel guests as they are all some kind of lower class to be exterminated to them.
The movie uses practical special effects. Which while old school also makes the film feel more personal and handmade.
The film is very gory and half the fun is watching and wonder by either how the characters will die and which one will be next.
The film seems to want to either introduce new and old puppets and their individual abilities all in this movie afraid there might not be another or is falling over itself with new creations that they feel they must showcase them as quickly and as often as possible as we are already familiar with the main ones from other films. So it almost feels like a next generation film made purely to introduce new products.
The film is messed up with what it is willing to show on screen. It’s a crazy yet fun in a truly demented way.
The story’s beginning to 1989 when the film series actually started out is a nice nod. Here with Udo kier as the puppet master in how he sees the world and works the puppets.
The film has the 1980’s mainstays of nudity and sex but not excessive. Though it does include Barbara Crampton who was a cast member of the original film.
Not only is the film violent, but over the top violent even when it doesn’t really need to be.
Thomas Lennon as the lead is perfect as this film is a horror film. It does have plenty of comedic elements which he downplays well and with pinache.
The film seems like it is a valentine to a horror geeks heart. This is more macabre grand guginol type gore. Even as there isn’t much to the story. It keeps it simple.
Written by Z. Craig Zehler writer and director of BONE TOMAHAWK and RIOT ON CELL BLOCK 99, he adds energy to the series and as his own films are violent he adds to the gruesomeness of the film with the ever violent scenarios. Much could easily be read into his questionable politics when it comes to his scripts especially here. Where once the puppets were against bad people and especially nazi’s in the original series of films that made them scary but endearing. Here they hunt down and kill any minority which seems even more cruel considering how much of an injustice many already feel as a minority. It makes the puppets fascinating but now more hateful and if you idolize them does that make them a symbol of nazi-ism or white rights? It just seems cruel but at least it is one of the few horror films to address race in the genre and franchise. Not to mention these puppet are adored by horror fans and now can seem more like a symbol of hate. Which can make the film more disturbing.
The ending leaves room in fact almost demands a sequel and continuation of story
GRADE: B-
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