Movie Review- Puppetmaster

Puppetmaster is a 1989 direct-to-video horror film from renowned B-Movie producer Charles Band. The film is part of a wave of killer doll movies that experienced brief popularity in the late 1980's and early 1990's, many of which were also produced by Band. While not as technically impressive or enjoyably silly as fellow doll film Child's Play, Puppetmaster still has a few redeeming qualities that make it memorable, at the very least.

The film follows a group of psychics who are investigating a hotel in California after an invitation from a former colleague. Upon arrival at the hotel, the group is informed that their colleague has recently passed away. The psychics deduce that their colleague was on the trail of Andre Toulon, a puppeteer who reportedly had the power to bring inanimate objects to life. As the psychics investigate into the hotel and their colleague's mysterious death, they are slowly killed off by Toulon's puppets.

Puppetmaster has a fairly interesting premise; but the execution leaves something to be desired. The film's pacing is sluggish and full of padding, and the characters are not distinct enough to warrant emotional investment. The setting and characters had potential to be engaging, but neither are given the proper attention to be effective. After most of the movie spends its time mindlessly milling about, the ending decides to take a sharp turn into a convoluted twist. It's revealed that the dead colleague killed himself and then came back to life using Toulon's magic so he could live forever. It's never made completely clear why he needed the puppets to begin with, or why the puppets decide to turn against the villain and kill him at the climax. It's all very needlessly complicated for an otherwise simple movie.

The main draw to this film is the troupe of killer puppets, and the movie competently delivers in that aspect. The designs of the puppets are all creative, even if some of them are more silly than spooky. I particularly like the ghoulish looking puppet, aptly named Blade, who has a hook and knife for hands. It looks like a cross between the masks from Scream and the Phantom of the Opera, and it's the only puppet of the bunch that actually manages to look creepy. The effects are well done considering the low budget, are a nice blend of stop-motion shots and puppetry.

It's also worth noting that the film has a decent musical score for a low budget production. The main theme that plays a few times during the film is enjoyably eerie. The theme sets a suitable mood for the movie, even if it never quite matches that atmosphere visually. Lower-budget productions typically tend to have really cheap or nondescript scores, so actually having a memorable theme is much appreciated.

Puppetmaster is not a good movie, by any means of the word. Most of the movie is nondescript and dull, but there is still some fun to be had for the niche audience this movie caters to. The special effects and puppet designs are neat to look at, and the movie is competently made to the extent that it's at least watchable. If you're looking for a killer doll movie other than Child's Play, this one is worth a shot.