Robert Reborn

Looking at the way they seem determined to stick Robert the Doll into increasingly silly scenarios this series is starting to feel like the equally dumb Leprechaun franchise. It would be funny if they made Robert in Da Hood.

Another entry in the Robert series and much like the later films in the Chucky series the emphasis is now on trying to make the audience laugh rather than scream. While it could have done with more serious horror I give the filmmakers props for being self aware about how silly their story is. This time Robert is joined by two new dolls who are very Puppet Master in their design and they end up on a plane with what I presume are KGB agents although its never really said. The addition of a doll who has machine guns for arms is the best aspect of the film but overall they should have spent more time on the plane where the most interesting action takes place.

Will confess right now in not being a fan at all of any of the other Robert the Doll films, no matter the big effort made to try to moderately like them. Still kept watching them because there is always something semi-intriguing about killer dolls and it was sort of for completest sake as well. And it is hard not to be drawn in to films that have ridiculous premises, but have a little potential to be halfway entertaining and creepy if any degree of effort was put into them.

Seeing 'Robert Reborn', again out of curiosity and because the premise did sound interesting (but it was clear from even reading the summary that there was going to be a lot of ridiculousness), it is the best of the Robert the Doll films. Or at least the least bad, with there being a little more effort being put into it than the previous films in the series. There is still a lot wrong with 'Robert Reborn' and in my view it is in no way a good, let alone great, film, even when trying to take it for what it was meant to be.

'Robert Reborn' is the marginally best-looking of the Robert the Doll films. Appreciated that the Toymaker's look was toned down and that he didn't look as goofy this time while the dolls look quite good by the series' standards.

Of the three, the best was Miss Cyclops who did generate some creepiness. There is some spookiness in the music.

Didn't find Robert himself to impress particularly much in 'Robert Reborn'. He is better used than in 'Revenge of Robert the Doll', where the Toymaker was more the main character and Robert was underused and not scary enough support, as he feels more of a lead. What he does is very more of the same however, but it also continues to feel stale. The sound is often too obvious, while the dialogue lacks wit, even trying not to take it seriously. The acting at worst is embarrassing (Lee Bane though does give his best performances of the series though), calling the accents suspect is being kind.

There are nowhere near enough scares (what there are are far from creative and come over as tired and stupid above all else), the suspense is non-existent and the humour could have featured much less or down-played (didn't find any of it particularly amusing). The story is very thin, though it is far less aimless than the previous films, and has no surprises or thrills, it feels very tired and the stupidity goes overboard fast to truly grating effect. While the dolls look quite good and the Toymaker's look is much improved, 'Robert Reborn' still looks cheap and like all the effort went into Robert and the other dolls.

In summation, the best of the films but weak. 3/10

Andrew Jones' prolific North Bank Entertainment dishes out another in the successful series featuring Robert the Doll. As with the previous couple of instalments his fictional creator, The Toymaker, has become a central character. It isn't a great decision: Lee Bane is a mainstay of Jones' productions and often turns in fine performances, but once again, he is buried under 'old man' make-up from which no-one could make much of an impression. The Toymaker's look has been toned down, admittedly, but the character remains visually unimpressive and often absurd. Knowingly though, there is a thin line of dark humour present that invites the audience not to take things too seriously.

This is very much part of a series: there is little effort to explain any previous plot developments in the hope of converting those unfamiliar with Robert's back-story. Events occur, but very little story seems to take place for a long while. Robert himself makes fleeting head-and-shoulders appearances (as do his friends, Cyclops and Kalashnikov), and any venue, whether it be theatre of public house, is noticeably free of people.

'Robert Reborn' is the fifth in the film series, and it appears to be the concluding chapter in what has become the prequel trilogy (this is set in 1951). I'm not massively sorry about this. Robert's origins could have made quite a pacey and entertaining story, but three films is stretching the idea beyond breaking point. And yet, this opened at #1 in HMV's DVD Premier Chart, so it appears others are more enamoured of the little fellow's beginnings than me.

I still think there's mileage in the story. Images of a toy-room festooned with sightless, grinning mannequins will never not be creepy, and Jones' productions have always bounced back despite occasionally uninspiring decisions.

'Robert Reborn' isn't a bad film (the scenes aboard a plane heading for Moscow), but it exposes many weaknesses of a low-budget production without bringing anything particularly inspiring to the table this time around. My score is 5 out of 10.

Robert Reborn: KGB officer Stoichkov kidnaps a toymaker, who owns a mystical book, to find a way to heal Stalin. However, things take a turn when the toymaker's dolls set out to rescue him. This is part of a killer doll franchise and is so bad it's good. Terrible special effects, unconvincing dolls. Anachronisms abound, though set in 1951 a modern jet is used but when the toymaker defects to Britain the jet is intercepted by World War Two RAF planes, London has a present day skyline. Acting is terrible. Surely this is deliberate? Written and Directed by Andrew Jones. On Netflix. I'm giving it 4/10 for laughs.