PUPPET MASTER III: TOULON'S REVENGE (1991)
A drab, heather-slate fullscreen transfer can't mask endearing storytelling or nuanced performances given by veteran actors. Real quick, though...fullscreen? Really? I refuse to buy this series on Blu-ray. I won't do it. I just can't believe that one of the most filling entries in the Puppet Master series is presented as a VHS rip. Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised by Toulon's Revenge. It's a prequel set in Nazi Germany that grants us a glimpse into the genesis of our malignant marionettes. We learn the impetus behind Blade and Leech Woman, for example. Ol' Andre is making waves with his "high-tech" puppet shows, and Nazi officials are keen to discover his secret.
I have neglected to mention this in my other reviews, but the stop-motion effects are simply stupendous. The puppets themselves are fluid and glutted with character. Six Shooter is a dandy addition to the gang, but to be blunt, Guy Rolfe steals the screen as Toulon. He's a protagonist again (like in the original), and Rolfe does a copacetic job of conveying his innate warmth. I wanted the good guys to win, so this totally works as a revenge movie. It actually has replay value. The franchise probably should have stopped here, but I haven't even reached the halfway point yet. Hopefully, the next sequel is directed by - oh, I don't know - Jeff Burr. Just throwing a random name out there.
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