Puppet Master: Axis Termination

Well, the "Puppet Master" franchise haven't really ever managed to get back on its feet since after the third movie, which happened to be the best in the franchise. So I have to admit that I was a little bit hestitant about this 2017 movie. But I still opted to watch it, as I am doing a "Puppet Master" movie marathon.

Sure, it was nice to have Charles Band back at directing and writing, but I have to say that "Puppet Master: Axis Termination" just wasn't an outstanding addition to the franchise. The storyline in this 2017 movie felt very bland and generic. You could leave the movie running whilst you go to another room, then come back and still be up to speed with the storyline.

The acting performances in "Puppet Master: Axis Termination" were wooden and rigid, with some performers really carrying the torch for being able to deliver cringeworthy performances. Especially George Appleby's performance and his accent, it was just all over the place. The movie has a single familiar face on the cast list, and let's not dance around the bush here, because Paul Logan is not really top of the line.

Visually then "Puppet Master: Axis Termination" was okay. Not the best of special effects, but they did help make the movie all the more bearable to sit through.

"Puppet Master: Axis Termination" was a weak foray into the franchise, and it is a movie that I hadn't even heard about prior to sitting down in 2023 to watch it. And just as quietly as the movie snuck in under the radar, just as quietly will it dissolved into the mists of oblivion.

My rating of director Charles Band's 2017 movie "Puppet Master: Axis Termination" lands on a three out of ten stars.

The 11th installment, the 5th film in chronological order, and the final in the Axis Trilogy. Although this is by no means a brilliant film, it is the best (by far) in the series since the original. This installment has a much darker tone than the stupid, comical 'Axis Rising', and has a lot more depth. Indeed a vast improvement on the previous Axis films. The acting and dialogue are much better, as well as the effects and tension. The puppets also look much better and are livelier, having been so stocky in previous films. In this installment Captain Brooks (Paul Logan) and a group of people with special powers battle against Nazi wizards to gain control of the puppet serum that is quickly running out. Nazi Puppets Wehrmacht, Bombshell and Blitzkrieg are back, as well. Unfortunately, I found the lighting in the film to be very poor. Hunky Paul Logan makes the film a lot more watchable, as well...

Well the end of a trilogy and also the end of a cycle or whatever you want to call it. Apparently the newest entry after this (movie number 12 by the way, which is called "Littlest Reich") will be a reboot. And it's funny because there will be an original cast member (at least), although Barbara Crampton did not have a character name in the very first Puppet Master.

But back to this one. This concludes a trilogy within the franchise and as I and probably others have stated before you could have told the story in one movie, but they stretched it over 3. Puppetry is good, though I'm not as impressed as I was with the first one. While the budget restrictions probably are the same, the very first one was way back ... Anyway there are worse movies (even in this franchise) and if you want to have a complete overview of things (like me), you'll probably watch it, even if it doesn't matter to the next one ...

With their former owners dead, the puppets are given to the military to determine how they move about, drawing attention from a deranged Nazi commandant and his assistant looking to control their own puppets and forcing the two sides to utilize their resources in order to stop the other.

This here was a rather decent enough entry. One of the film's few positives here is the way this one dives into the concluding chapter of the storyline present, making this a rather strong outing. The fact that the dolls are given straight to the military in order to continue their research on how they work and what their orders are going to be for the majority of the film is all given out in the first opening minutes here, wasting no time and getting this plotline going. This quick-moving story enables the far-reaching elements such as clairvoyance and dream premonitions to emerge as quite logical in this universe, introducing the concept of the dueling group of mystics battling to keep themselves secret from each other or the highly enjoyable series of interactions that play up the need to complete the dolls in their own spaces. This setup allows the film to have some rather fun cheesy action with this mix of magic and sorcery. The idea of watching the Nazi's conduct their experiments, including them going through the test subjects in their chambers to the experiments with the captured dolls as well as the daughter, offer up some truly enjoyable supernatural-themed action as the ability to control and manipulate everyone around them to do their bidding. Not only do we see their own soldiers and subordinates being controlled in some rather tense scenes in the compound but the encounter at the refinery allows for a much more chilling demonstration of their powers when mixed together with the puppet action here in the finale. With the gunplay coming into play with the puppets alongside the rest of the battles against the controllers, there's a lot to like here from the kinetic action and fine bloodshed with the dolls in play to hold it up rather nicely. That said, there are a few minor flaws to be had here. The main issue to be had is the lack of obvious puppet action since there's way too much time spent elsewhere with this one. There's way too much emphasis on the mysticism between the scientist and his daughter attempting to explain their powers that really just keep going on in stilted English full of gibberish and nonsensical megalomaniacal threats rather than putting the puppets to work. By having both sides gravitate towards speechifying as well as the overwhelming need for standing around letting their powers take center stage rather than focusing on all-out puppet action, the film takes on more of a fantasy vibe more than any other entry in the series which might be somewhat detrimental. The other factor is the cheap-looking special effects for the puppets, who look for very CGI-based and don't really have much realism in their few scenes. Beyond this, there isn't much else to this one.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence, Language and Nudity.

Say what you will about creator Charles Band's long running low- budget killer-doll franchise "Puppet Master." The fact is for darned-near close to thirty years now, the series has managed to continue on with relative competence, while maintaining at least a certain degree of imagination and low-brow entertainment in each new chapter. From the fun and sometimes genuinely creepy initial trilogy, through the kitschy 90's gems that were the fourth and fifth chapters, and indeed through a surprisingly fun prequel in the 'Retro' spin-off... "Puppet Master" had done pretty well for itself over the years.

Unfortunately, a troubling noticeable trend has plagued more recent entries in the saga, and it's becoming increasingly clear that at a certain point, enough is enough. Hindered by lower budgets and a general apathetic feeling of "been there, done that", the last few films have come across as a mere shadow of what the series once was, and the most recent chapter- 2017's "Axis Termination"- is perhaps the worst offender. While not objectively the worst of the series in terms of story, it's just so wholly unremarkable and thrown-together that you can't help but feel cold and disconnected from the opening sequence through the final climactic battle. And it's a sign that it sadly might be time for those delightful killer dolls to finally throw in the towel for good. At least in terms of the original series continuity.

"Axis Termination" follows an unlikely group of heroes who are brought together by the allied force during World War II. Each member gifted in some way- including some with magical and psychic abilities- the team are given the mission to work alongside the puppets of Andre Toulon in order to battle a dreaded group of Nazis whom are seeking to gain Toulon's formula for everlasting life. However, when the daughter of team leader Dr. Ivan Ivanov (George Appleby) is kidnapped, matters take a personal turn, and it becomes a mission of vengeance.

To give some minor credit where it is due, the concept is actually quite fun, and it serves as an interesting enough follow-up to the previous two movies, which were similarly placed in a World War II setting. It creates a unique atmosphere allows for some decent contrast with more modern entries in the series. The idea of a borderline superhero-inspired team of allied forces is also quite amusing, and I actually genuinely liked Appleby as the gifted Dr. Ivanov- a man suffering dwarfism who is frequently ridiculed, yet also holds more power than even he will admit to.

Unfortunately, a likable lead and a funky concept can only get you so far, especially when the movie doesn't know what to do with them. "Axis Termination" feels strained... coming across as too rushed and undeveloped, yet also somehow feeling dull and over-padded. And look, I understand that there was simply no real money to work with... but that doesn't excuse shoddy situational writing and half-baked character development. It's a poorly constructed, slap-dash effort that feels like it was put together out of obligation moreso than motivation. The story is minimal and lacks proper build-up or conclusion, there's a distinct lack of stakes and shockingly the puppets themselves- the stars of the series- feel tacked on and superfluous.

Visually the film is flimsy and has a really cheap, tacky look to it. And given the modern age of digital photography, I can't just sit back and act like that's OK anymore. Anyone with a cheap DSLR and some shop-lights can make something that looks semi- professional. So it's hard to excuse people with decades of experience giving us such visual drivel. Director Band, returning to helm the series once again, doesn't seem to care much. His choice in shots, composition and flow is suspect at best, and lacks any real thought. It's put together in the blandest of ways- every scene being composed of simple wide shots and shot-reverse-shot editing, and the few times he tries to do anything fun with the camera, it comes off as hockey and out of left field. This isn't made any better by the woeful acting, with the bulk of the cast looking very uncomfortable on-camera. It's unintentionally amusing, and some genuinely cringe-worthy line-deliveries left me chuckling when it clearly wasn't appropriate.

As it stands, "Puppet Master: Axis Termination" might not quite be the worst of the series, but it's a continuation of the general downgrade in quality that has occurred over the past few installments, and it really feels like the series is dead in the water at this point. There's no money to build creative effects or kills anymore. There's no motivation on the part of the filmmakers to try and take the series in new and interesting directions. And it all feels so by-the-books that it comes across as a wholly pointless endeavor. Thankfully, there is some hope for the franchise with a somewhat higher-budgeted reboot in the works. But as it stands, I think I'm pretty much done with the original series. "Axis Termination" musters up a very poor 2 out of 10. I wouldn't even really recommend it to fans.