Silent Night, Deadly Night 5: The Toy Maker

Although this movie is soon established as having a supernatural bent (as well as a Pinocchio complex), it follows the pattern of excellence that was set by the original "Silent Night, Deadly Night". Each movie is gorier than the last, yet still manages to come up with interesting and unique ways to kill the victims. (Warning though -- do NOT watch this movie while eating, as it has probably the most disgusting death scene I've ever viewed.) This movie is rich with a vibrant, talented cast, including Jane Higginson (as Sarah Quinn), Brian Bremer (as Pino), Tracy Fraim (as Noah), William Thorne (as the child Derek), and the incomparable Mickey Rooney (as Joe Petto ).

There's a host of strange and creepy characters in this movie, from the toy maker Joe Petto, who has the eerie ability to bring things back to life, to his "son" Pino(cchio) Petto, who is just plain weird and creepy in addition to the fact that he hasn't aged in over twenty years, to the mysterious Noah, who shows up in the town, doing his best to buy out Petto's toy shop, and having a strange obsession with your Derek Quinn. Just when you think you've figured out who the "bad guy" is, the movie throws you a curve ball, and you're left to wonder who really is the "evil toymaker".

Altogether, this was an excellent film, having all the aspects of a wild horror ride. You'd think the story of satanic Santas and Christmases best left forgotten, but this movie proves that follow-ups can be just as thrilling as the original movie, even following the same pattern -- no one really lives long enough for you to get attached to them, and as the movie goes on, you feel more and more pity for the character you're beginning to suspect. And make sure you watch closely -- this movie has some interesting cameos that are too good to miss.

But so as not to give the wrong impression, yes, there are parts of this movie that could be better left unseen. There's a long, drawn-out sex scene with absolutely no point, and another sex scene (which ends in a fascinating new way) which could have been drastically reduced. But for the child in all of us, that still believes our toys come alive at night, this movie is a horrifying adventure into a child's worst nightmare. If you like this movie, you'll love the horror flick "Dolls", where the toys are much more than living toys -- they're people trapped inside of toys.

This film begins with a young boy by the name of "Derek Quinn" (William Thorne) waking up to the sound of a doorbell and, upon going to check it out, finding a Christmas present with his name on it. Naturally, being somewhat excited about this, he immediately tries to open it up but is interrupted by his father who loudly admonishes him and tells him to go back to bed. Curious about what is inside, his father "Tom Quinn" (Van Quattro) then decides to open it up and finds a strange toy inside. Unfortunately, upon further investigation, the toy suddenly springs to life and kills him--while Derek looks on in complete shock from a distance. The scene then shifts to a couple of weeks later with Derek suffering from post-traumatic stress and unable to speak. Although the doctor tells his mother "Sarah Quinn" (Jane Higginson) that he will eventually recover, she still feels sorry for him and, to help cheer him up, takes him to a small toy shop not far from where they live. Not finding anything of interest, they eventually head back home. Not long afterward, the terror begins again. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this film started off well enough, but it went downhill at the end due to the overacting on the part of Brian Bremmer (as the teenage boy "Pino"). Be that as it may, while I don't consider this to be a good film by any means, it was still better than a couple of others in the series, and I have rated it accordingly.

After subpar sequels 2 to 4, had lowered expectations for this final film in the franchise.

This film is different in comparison to the original but it works in a sense. The plot is creative and makes sense. There is a sense of intrigue as it starts out relatively mysterious and confusing where many things do unfold as the story progresses. Clever twists in the end.

The aspect regarding the toy owner and his creepy teenage son with these killer toys makes for an interesting story. How the intro began regarding the killer toy killing the character left us wanting more.

What ultimately makes this film watchable is not only is the acting passable, the characters are solid and the lead mother and her child son are easy to root for. There are some unique kill scenes, one highlight involving a young teenage man and girl in the bedroom where these killer toys go completely rogue.

A lot better than part 4, also noting that the lead female Kim and the boy Lonnie appear here with lesser roles. Perhaps not on the level of the original but it's certainly at least the second best of the franchise.

Another in-name-only sequel, this time with a "Pinocchio" theme about a toy maker (Mickey Rooney) and his son creating toys that kill people. Interesting premise marred by amateurish performances. Technically well-made, though. My evaluation: ** out of ****.

A evil toymaker and his son create Christmas presents that kill people. Bearing no connection to the first 4, except in title, and almost just as bad. The premise is laughable and Mickey Rooney has never hit so low. Might be of some interest to gore fans though. Sexually explicit for a horror film to. 3 out of 10. Lets prey there is no more entry's in this series.