Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich

Horror franchises that took place during the 80´s have survived incredible long in the movie industry. Just look at the Friday The 13:th franchise, that have released so many films for a very long time. Jason Voorhees will always be one of the most iconic horror characters of all time, and i am sure we will see him again in the future in a new film. Of course we can´t forget the Child´s Play franchise with Chucky, the possessed serial killer doll. Chucky is another iconic horror character that have managed to survive over the years, and keep coming back for more victims. I actually have not see the latest Chucky film known as Cult Of Chucky but plan to do that soon. Speaking of the 80´s horror franchises, how many of you remember the cult movie Puppet Master from 1989 ? The movie became a cult classic on VHS, and i remembered that i loved the style of the film using puppet dolls as killers. Now i have to say something, i actually enjoyed Puppet Master 2 even more than the first film. One of the reasons why i enjoyed this sequel more than the original film, was that were told a lot about the history of Andre Toulon ( here played by actor Steve Welles ). And since the puppets were made of puppet master Andre Toulon, it was nice that the second film opened up more about this man´s life. the franchise of Puppet Master continued in the 90´s and gave us a number of films. To be honest, i have not seen them all, except for Retro Puppet Master released in 1999 ( that i got from America, since the film was never released in Sweden ). After the millennium the Puppet Master franchise continued releasing new films, and it seemed that the story of Andre Toulon´s puppet dolls lived on. But to me it was becoming clear that some of these sequels could not match up to the earlier films, and that some of the magic was missing. So i decided not to see some of the films, since the trailers did not seem very interesting. Until i came across the latest film called Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich. It was while i was watching a review of the film on YouTube channel Geek Legion Of Doom i noticed that this new film could be what i have been waiting for. So i had to get myself a DVD copy ( also from America, since the film is not released in Sweden ), to see if this film finally put the Puppet Master back on track. Is this the best sequel in the Puppet Master series for many years, or is this just another sequel you should avoid at all cost ?

Edgar Easton ( Thomas Lennon ) owns a comic book store, where his best friend Markowitz ( Nelson Franklin ) spends most of his time. They decide to go together with Edgar´s girlfriend Ashley Summers ( Jenny Pellicer ) to an auction where the puppets of legendary puppet master Andre Toulon ( Udo Kier ) will be located. Before the auction takes place, they have a guided tour about Andre Toulon´s history, lead by Officer Carol Doreski ( Barbara Crampton ). At the hotel where all the guests who are getting ready for the auction, some of them are suddenly brutally murdered. Detective Brown (Michael Paré ) arrives to the hotel to investigate the murders. No real evidence is clear so far, but when more victims are found, it seems that Andre Toulon´s puppet dolls may be behind the murders.

Since some of the Puppet Master films have felt blended, without the passion of the earlier films of the Puppet Master franchise, i am happy to say that this latest film does exactly right. We get the feeling of the old school films, and to see the puppet dolls murder their victims in the classic way is a nice throwback to the 80´s. The puppets actually works better than i expected this time around, and i feel happy to see that the nostalgia returns so well in this sequel. The killings are very brutal, and the practical effects offer some really gory scenes. And this is a treat for Puppet Master fans, that i am sure most people will enjoy who have followed these films since the start. Another good thing about this film is the cast. You have actor Thomas Lennon ( known from very funny TV series Reno 911 ) here, as the comic book store owner Edgar Easton. We also have the always wonderful, and beautiful Barbara Crampton ( if i ever become single, i will ask her to marry me ) as Officer Carol Doreski. How about legendary actor Michael Paré ( known from a lot of classics such as Streets Of Fire and Into The Sun ) as Detective Brown. Let´s not forget legendary actor Udo Kier ( from films such as Johnny Mnemonic and Blade ) as Andre Toulon. Legendary B movie actor Matthias Hues also have a smaller part here as Strommelson, so nice to see him still do films. So you can imagine with such a wonderful cast, this helps Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich to become more entertaining to watch. I also feel that the idea of everyone gathering to an auction where puppet master Andre Toulon was killed, is a great location for this film. And when the murders begin, this film picks up the right tone for a Puppet Master sequel. Directors Sonny Laguna and Tommy Wiklund both directed the Swedish horror zombie film Vittra back in 2012, a Swedish horror film that was one of the best horror films made in Swedish horror cinema for many years. And i am so happy they decided to direct the latest Puppet Master film, because they clearly understood that we needed to go back to the classic concept. They have managed to bring quality back with Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich. I would not say this is the best film in the whole franchise, but definitely one of the better ones. Is there anything i would have liked to see in this film that´s missing ? Maybe a few scenes with Udo Kier as Andre Toulon just for nostalgic reasons. Other than that i can´t really complain. Support this latest film and buy it on DVD, so we can hopefully see directors Sonny Laguna and Tommy Wiklund make another Puppet Master film. They clearly are the bright hope for this franchise right now. If you enjoy the old Puppet Master film, give this latest one a chance. I guarantee you will feel pleased about this film.

Rating: DDD