Puppet Master 4

The notorious Bodega Bay Inn is now inhabited by a whiz-kid science major named Rick Myers who is working for an elite team of scientists in hopes of finding out the secret of artificial intelligence. Meanwhile, in Hell, at the EXACT SAME MOMENT, a legion of evil rubbery demons send a horde of minions to the surface to kill anyone who has anything to do with Andre Toulon's elixir of animation. It certainly would be bad luck if Rick just happened to stumble upon a vial of the damning potion, now wouldn't it? Even though the plot of this particular chapter in the Puppet Master series is razor-thin and the acting stays consistently mundane throughout, it has a certain flair that most of the other entries don't. The puppets are much more likeable this time around, and their movements, although not as detailed or complex, are a lot more amusing and believable.

I though that PM4 and 5 were the best of the series. the puppets are fighting the Totems, minions of Sutek, who want the secret Toulon stole from him back. To help the Puppets, a new one, Decapitron (originally an idea for an unmade Empire Pictures filck) is made. This has always been my favorite Full Moon flick, and I love part V. Keep up the work Mr. Band. As usual, the video contains an excellent videozone, and the video itself was distributed by Paramount. A Puppet Master Box Set was released in 2000 by Full Moon, but was quickly recalled by Paramount because they still claimed the rights to these films. Paramount needs to stop being an ass and let Mr. Band release all of his great films through Full Moon, not the Paramount "Full Screen Collection". Bless Full Moon.

A brilliant super-nerd Rick Myers (Gordon Currie) who likes to play laser tag while rocking out to metal is conducting some experiments and doing research in the Bodega Bay Inn while he is caretaker. He feels he works much better in this environment while no one is looking over his shoulder. THE SHINING anyone? Three friends come over including his girlfriend Susie (Chandra West) and they find puppets that have been locked away since maybe some time around 1941. So, forget about parts 1 and 2 now. The puppets are brought back to life, but a demon named Sutekh (whose appearance is like a puppet as well. The biggest problem I had with this character is he wasn't scary and you just wanted to hug him) has sent three servants to get Toulon's secret.

Now, one thing I will say is the effects are getting better by 1993 and are actually getting quite effective in my eye. There is also a new puppet called Decapitron who can have different heads placed on his body. It is also through this puppet that Toulon (Guy Rolfe makes his return) appears to Rick. Strange to say the least and while the effects are getting better, this effect well wasn't a highlight I would say. Also starring Felton Perry in an almost useless role as Dr. Carl Baker.

Anyways, if you do watch it and in fact enjoy it perhaps PUPPET MASTER 5 will be for you as well as Jeff Burr directed it and is a complete sequel to this movie.

In this third sequel Gordon Currie makes his first really big role of a movie . Rick (G.Currie) is the caretaker to a hotel . Him and three other friends find the puppets Pinhead, Jester , and you know all the others . In this moviee the puppets are good and are fighting evil . Tons of action pretty good . Followed by Part 5 witch is horrible . Believe me . If your a horror fan you should watch this movie . ** stars out of four . Guy Rolfe ( Toulon also makes his return . He was in the third .

I remember not particularly caring much for the rest of Full Moon's direct-to-video Puppet Master films that followed on after third instalment, but I managed to come across Parts 4 and 5. I had inkling to see if I still felt the same way and after getting through the fourth film it was actually better than I remembered. Nevertheless I didn't really liked how the puppets are turned into the good guys (although you could say that was the case in the third film, but I preferred that one's revenge angle) facing off against a Sutek the ancient Eygptian God and its minions that can control totems, but credit is due to somewhat (as some familiar staples do crop up) not completely repeating itself. Directed by Jeff Burr (a regular to the genre and to sequels… who would also direct the back-to-back made filth film), does quite competently polished if mechanical job, knowing that it's the puppets themselves that are the main attraction, as the animation is well-executed and the personalities of each one of them standing out with Blade taking centre stage. I always find something unsettling about the puppet Six Shooter and his laugh and again it's no exception here. The only two that didn't appear were leech woman and torch.

The whole angle has the puppets finding a new master and protecting him from the demon who wants to destroy the late Andre Toulon's work and the tone has kind of changed, while some dark glimmers I didn't find it all that creepy (with nastiness mainly occurring off-screen) and even the cliff side hotel they occupy doesn't have that dominating presence either. Some instances fell on the funny side, but the change of pace and whole drama moves by quick enough. Also it looked like it had a little more money behind it and Richard Band chimes in with an airy, majestic score. Reasonable performances by Gordon Currie and Chandra West in the leads with Guy Rolfe returning as Andre Toulon.