User reviews

Full Moon's attempt at a World War II flick on a low budget is ambitious. Yeah, the acting is a little wooden (what do you expect from puppets? heh), but Lynch, Wolfe, Abercrombie, and Gottell all do okay. Setting up Lynch's character as a puppet is a cute touch since Blade does look like him. This gives some background to the puppets, and sets them up as the potential good guys for subsequent sequels and to take advantage of their popularity. Overall, entertaining.

The most imaginative and best-acted title in the long-running PUPPETMASTER series, Part 3 is actually a prequel that details how Andrte Toulon came to create his puppets during the dark days of World War II. The Nazis wants to use Toulon's secrets to create an army of the undead, and that's when the fun begins. Toulon sics his killer puppets on the Nazis, to spectacularly bloody effect. The puppets are the good guys in this one. What also makes a huge difference here is the introduction of Guy "Mr. Sardonicus" Rolfe as Toulon, a role he would essay in two more sequels. Rolfe is a great Toulon, a charismatic and even sympathetic character who loves his deadly puppets as only a papa creator could. Rolfe lent an air of integrity and distinction to the series. Part 3 is a great little B-horror addition to the series that was shot on the Universal back lot instead of Europe to surprisingly solid effect. A must-see.

So in this third segment of the Puppet Master Epic, we are transported back to World War II and the Nazi's. Forever looking for the upper hand the German military command has come across rumours of Andre Toulon. It's said his marionette show has puppets without strings. If the Riech could mobilise such a force then they would be unstoppable. After Toulon refuses to help Major Kraus his wife Elsa is murdered. Upon his escape, helped by his trustworthy puppets, Toulon sets out for revenge.

Even though this is primarily a revenge story the writers, Charles Band and C Courtney Joiner, give the audience so much more. There's intrigue, adventure, action, and human interest. This tome is one of the better and stronger stories in the collection. This makes this film a rarity... it's better than the original. Like that movie, this straddles a few genres. This isn't just a horror flick. You have dark fantasy and chiller elements in the tale too. The best thing about this film is the fact the puppets are not evil. Killers yes, evil no. For example, when Jester has to attack to save Toulon he looks positively worried as he dashes across the floor. The brilliant thing with Jester is his ability to change the emotions on his face. So, yes he looks worried but he still attacks. It's still this dichotomy, for me, that lifts the story above the average and away from the horror genre.

Add to this the nice direction of David DeCoteau, who has no trouble getting down to the marionettes level, and the film gets stronger. It's also wonderful he had a bigger budget. Whereas the two previous films had limited sets, here we have over five different locations and some outdoor shots. DeCoteau is good at using subtle lighting to create atmosphere along with a sense of unease, and the soundtrack helps with this creation.

The special effects are beautiful and gruesome - the end Major Kraus puppet especially. Done in low light so he's silhouetted just makes it eerier to see. Add the blood jettisoning from his wrist and I admit I, "Oooh"'ed. The puppets themselves were handled brilliantly and the numerous techniques should keep the viewer asking, "how did they do that?" It was expressly nice to see the creation of Leech Woman.

Then we have the acting. Once again, this is stronger than the previous films. On the whole, Guy Rolfe is good as Toulon, though when his wife is murdered the acting is a little apathetic. I expected more anger and outrage. The star of this show is Richard Lynch as Major Kraus. He has the perfect tone to the character and makes the film with his easy nastiness. Now I love Walter Gotell, he's such a superb actor, and he is here as General Mueller... though I have to ask myself did he take the part because most his role was set in a brothel and he was surrounded by semi-clad beautiful girls... Hhmmm!

This is the second film in the series that I would gladly recommend. For me though, the first movie still has something, which is elusive for me to name, that makes it a film to rewatch time after time. If you're a multi-genre fan, based primarily in horror and dark fantasy, you should enjoy this film. It is very enjoyable and an ideal way to spend a creepy dark night in with your beloved...

Feel free to check out my Absolute Horror, Obsidian Dreams (Fantasy), and Killer Thriller Chillers lists to see where this movie ranks - or to check for an interesting movie to watch.

Toulon's Revenge is the best in the whole Puppet Master series (With the exception of part 1 of course. This one goes back to World War II where the Nazi's are p****d off because of Aundre Toulon's

puppet shows giving negative buzz about the Gustopo. And soon they discover that his puppets are actully alive and decide to use Toulon's technology to revive soldiers that were dead to replenish their army. Needless to say everything goes south and puppets spring into action to protect their master.

What makes this movie great is it tells who the puppets are and shows the making and birth of leech woman I give it a 10

This the third in series is a prequel and shares really a great backstory to the puppet master Andre Toulon (Guy Rolfe). Set in 1941 (so I suppose forget about the fact that he killed himself in 1939 in the original) Germany where the Nazis are after Toulon after he jokes toward Hitler during his puppet shows and also the knowledge that the puppets move on their own. For the Nazis want Toulon's secret for their own devious plans.

The one thing that really does set this film apart from the previous two and likely all that follow (I have only seen until part 6) is the acting. Guy Rolfe plays Toulon and really gives a great performance. The best portrayal of Toulon and extremely different than the Toulon in part 2. Richard Lynch as usual plays the bad guy, but here plays Major Kraus. He doesn't just look mean for there is more to his evil character than just that. Finally, Ian Abercrombie plays Dr. Hess who is heading Nazi research to bring the dead back to life. He as well does a fine job in portraying his character. Another thing is I feel this entry is well written by C. Courtney Joyner.

Now there are some things that were not around in 1941, for example nudie mags I don't think were around until the '50s, but I forgive this film for reasons I mentioned above, having characters I care about and it being by far the best I have seen in the series to date.

But what about the puppets, man? Yep, they are still creating havoc, but in this entry we see the creation of both Leech Woman and Blade. The new puppet here is Six-Shooter and I think he is my favourite puppet of the bunch.

Also starring Walter Gotell as General Mueller, Sarah Douglas as Toulon's wife Elsa and former adult movie star Michelle Bauer as Lili.

Generally regarded as the best of the "Puppet Master" series, "Puppet Master 3" has one thing that elevates it above #1 and #2, and that is Richard Lynch as the head Nazi who hunts puppets. Whenever Lynch is cast as the top villain, which is almost always, he does not disappoint. The story itself could best be described as a long game of hide and seek, with Guy Rolfe and his puppets constantly on the move trying to evade Lynch and his SS Troopers. Of course such a simplistic plot eventually wears thin, but the brief flashes of puppet violence help somewhat. Even though "Full Moon" offers a full line of toy puppets, the film is clearly not aimed at children due to the violence and nudity. Despite this questionable marketing, apparently there is an audience for this type of entertainment. - MERK

I reckon this is the first one where we really establish the Puppets as "good". If you fight one of the "ultimate" evils (bear with me on this one or play along), than you have to be good, no matter how evil you are yourself. Or at least how mean and vicious, not to mention entirely violent and murderous. But that's the tale of the Puppets.

And their master of course. The one in the movie and the ones behind the scenes of the movie, doing a really good job controlling them - pun intended. Effects are nice and the story may take us back, but I guess you have to stick with the story - or not. You know just watch it for the deaths and carnage. Whatever works for you. I reckon movie wise this is the best I've seen yet (up to movie 7 at this point).

After an average opener and one needless sequel in PUPPET MASTER II, PUPPET MASTER III: TOULON'S REVENGE is something of a surprise. The producers are still trying to find out a way to continue the franchise after the actor who played Toulon in the original died, so they opt here for a prequel format set in Nazi Germany, no less.

The biggest twist this time around is that Toulon and his puppets are presented as the good guys - I guess those Nazis trump everybody in terms of 'evilness', even homicidal mass murderers. Yeah, it's best to forget about the first two films when watching this. In TOULON'S REVENGE, the puppet master has his wife murdered by the corrupt regime, so he sends his dolls on a rampage of revenge against the Nazis.

Most of the film consists of various Nazis being murdered by the dolls in creative ways. The special effects are shoddy but mildly charming, and there seems to be a little more originality here than in other B-movies; this is a huge step up from the previous movie, for example. The cast is studded with the expected likes of Richard Lynch and Michelle Bauer, although the most surprising scene comes when Bond's Walter Gotell shares a bath with a bevy of topless beauties. There's something else you weren't expecting...

Full Moon's Puppet Master III is a disappointing sequel to the classic series concerning killer puppets. We are now taken back in time to Nazi Germany and have the general pleasure of watching the puppets beat the hell out of the Nazis. The film is directed actually quite well by David Decoteau, however, a lot of the acting falls short and is flat(probably because we are not gifted with the talents of Paul Lemat(Puppet Master) or Charlie Spradling(Puppet Master II). The movie was filmed on the backlots of Universal Studio, so you may recognize some of the scenery. The new addition to this flick is Six-Shooter, a puppet with 3 pairs of arms, each armed with a gun(how creative). The movie seems to run a little on the long side even though it is only 86 minutes. Only for die hard Puppet Master fans.

This horror flick doesn't pretend to be anything but a simple revenge story, and I like that. There are no pretensions. "Toulon" (Guy Rolfe, replacing William Hickey who played the role the first two films) is the puppeteer-extraordinaire whose creations are literally lifelike.

Rolfe and his deadly puppets go after the Nazis after they seek him out for his scientific genius of reanimating puppets. They want that information to use for their evil purposes so "Toulon" and his puppets fight back. It's sort of a do-it-to-them- before-they-do-it-to-us mentality. The head Nazi is played by Richard Lynch and the man reminded me facially of Rutger Hauer.

We see the Mr. Clean-type puppet with the little head and massive body; the puppet who "screws" everyone; the femme fatale and the cowboy "Six Shooter." There is probably someone I forgot, too. All are fun to watch.

The plot is secondary to the puppets doing their thing, eliminating all the bad guys one-by-one and it's all entertaining and done with in less than an hour- and-a-half. I have found the first three in this series all to be good but this is my only "keeper." I sure wish this was available on DVD.

Note: It's rated "R" not just for the violence. There are a couple of quick sex scenes showing bare breasts. Although the film in general might not be considered grade-A quality, it's not as dumb as you might think, either.

Of the Puppet Master movies I have seen, this one is my favorite. The plot is, in my opinion, good. The backstory showing us Miss Leach and Blade's backstory is interesting and what I think is a strong supporting factor that holds this movie as one of the best in the franchise. While it is good, it has its weaknesses. Some of the characters can be annoying and some ideas lead to nowhere. The Puppet Master theme is in it and that also gives the movie support. This movie is better than the first two and works as what it is. This is a great movie in a not great franchise. It's definitely no where near a big Hollywood productions level, but it's a fun B-Movie time.

During the pre-war era of Berlin in 1941, the Nazi regime is working at creating a drug which will reanimate the dead. Their intent is to use the serum on fallen soldiers in order to render their army invincible. After many failed attempts, Dr. Hess soon learns that the local puppet master Andre Toulon holds the ancient secret of giving life to inanimate objects. Toulon and his legion of puppets must now defend themselves and flee from the pursuing Nazis as they try to capture him and use his powers for evil. This is an exciting and adequately-scripted entry in the still-continuing Puppet Master series, even though the story suffers from a gaping, inexcusable plot hole: the original movie has Toulon committing suicide in 1939, two years before the events in this film. All imperfections aside, however, this still is a decent little flick.

The third part in the Puppet Master films is quite a surprise actually. It might even be better than the first in story telling! The acting is superb, the story is superb and the movie well...it's superb as well! This is actually a prequel to the original films, introducing the characters to us, including a new one named Six Shooter.

This film, without spoiling anything is about killing Nazi's who have destroyed the Puppet Master. It is a very interesting look at events from World War II.

A great installment in the series and well worth watching for the story alone!

Above average entry in this series is a prequel, set in WWII Berlin as puppet master Andre Toulon (Guy Rolfe) is sought out by the Nazis. They're trying in vain to reanimate dead soldiers, and are intrigued by his ability to create puppets that move without strings. The sinister Major Kraus (Richard Lynch) murders Andres' wife Elsa (Sarah Douglas), and Andre escapes Nazi captivity to hide out and plan his revenge. Carrying out Andres' dirty work will be his family of puppets: Tunneller, Pinhead, and new creations such as Six Shooter (a six armed cowboy), Ms. Leech, and Blade.

"Toulon's Revenge" benefits from better than usual production values; it looks like a reasonable chunk of money was spent on this prequel. At the core is an entertaining, involving, if familiar story, with Andre the kind of guy for whom you do feel sorry. David DeCoteaus' direction actually isn't bad, and he gets good performances out of this well chosen cast. David Allens' effects are still very impressive, and the puppet characters are quite memorable, especially Six Shooter. (You don't see much of Blade in this entry.)

Lynch is at his villainous best - you can't WAIT for this guy to get what he deserves. Ian Abercrombie is fine as the basically well meaning Dr. Hess, as is Walter Gotell as a top Nazi official. Matthew Faison and Aron Eisenberg are a fugitive father and son, and Michelle Bauer has a small role. Rolfe of "Mr. Sardonicus" fame is wonderful as Andre.

A good, fun outing from the folks at Full Moon.

Seven out of 10.

The third entry of the straight-to-video series in producer Charles Band's Full Moon's "Puppet Master" goes for a prequel set-up in outlining the origins of Andre Toulon and his animated puppets in the backdrop of a war-torn Berlin through the Nazis uprise in WW2.

During WW2 the Nazis led by Dr. Hess are conducting experiments on life and death, which involves reviving their dead to increase their manpower. However Hess is having trouble controlling his test subjects and the animation doesn't last for long. But Andre Toulon and his life-like puppets capture his eyes, but also that of the Gestapo's Major Krauss who sees Toulon and his puppet show negative propaganda against Nazi regime. They raid his theatre and in the process Toulon's wife is murdered by Krauss. Toulon manages to escape custody and then seeks revenge with the help of his puppets while on the run from the Gestapo.

"Puppet Master III: Toulon's Revenge" is a straightforward (puppeteer of revenge), but effective low-budget b-picture that's a tad more ambitious and constructively complete in its narrative's vision than its formulaic, but playful predecessors. I would tag it as the best of the lot, so far. There's excellent performances stemming from the likes of Guy Rolfe (who sympathetically fills the role as Toulon), Ian Abercrombie and a suitably nasty, cold hearted villain turn by Richard Lynch as Nazi Major Krauss. Rolfe and Lynch simply standout, giving it a little more professionalism and class. What also makes their acting noticeable is that they have a better than average script, which is suggestively tailored and tightly projected in letting the plot evolve and giving space to provide a back-story to the puppets (especially that of Leech woman and Blade). Director David DeCoteau's compact handling is quickly paced and uses the obvious back-lot sets quite well where he crafts lasting tension, seamless excitement and atmospheric imagery of the artistically etched puppets (which once again are expertly engineered and brought across) as they gleefully hand out violently nasty and bloody attacks on the Nazis. Richard Band's recycled score is still as racy, but consisting of an edgy kick within the darker moments.

This time around we go back in time to learn who Andre Toulon was, and how the puppets came to be. Interestingly enough, the film is set in 1941, but as we know from the first film, Toulon committed suicide in 1939. Laden with bad acting and dialogue and bad German accents, this is a real B-movie. Even the puppet effects are not that good and later in the film even annoying. There is no suspense to this very thin plot. In fact, there is nothing here to prevent it from falling apart.

I had actually never seen any puppet master movie. It felt like some kind of a comic book adaptation, let's say like the first of the series of Batman movies, but in less sophisticated.

Not bad, but no genius material either. The puppet master being some kind of avenger. The idea of using Hitler and the Gestapo as Toulon's Nemesis was pretty ridiculous, but Richard Lynch being as good as usual and the puppets being funny in a silly way, it was'nt so bad in the end.

However, it is not my kind of horror movie. I watched it because of the viewers' good comments.

I give a 6 because if you llike the genre, I guess you will find it pretty good.

But for my taste... Boy! Was it silly! If the puppets were at least better looking, it might have a stronger impact.

But considering the year it was launched, it was OK.

This one has better lead roles, but a lot takes place at daytime and shooting in a stuido backlot made it dull at times. Take out some blood and this could've easily been a PG 13 sequel...the puppets are starting to become good guys it looks like... I'll have to watch part 4.

The third "Puppet Master" movie is a prequel to the original two movies, showing events occurring in war-time Germany involving Andre Toulon, his wife Elsa and his band of merry wooden men (the puppets not the actors). This time, we see what happens when "Good Puppets Go Bad" as the ensemble of 12" killer characters seek revenge against the Nazis.

"Puppet Master III - Toulon's Revenge" is another building block in the series' mythology, filling in some of the back-story of the main protagonists. There's a continuity error with the timeframe, however, as this film is set in 1941 and, in the original, Toulon committed suicide in 1939! As expected, this is a really fun movie - the film's cast includes the late Walter Gotell as the Nazi general who commands his men with an iron fist but who also has a soft-spot for the local brothel. Gotell's best known for playing the Russian equivalent of "M" in numerous Bond movies. Sarah Douglas who plays Elsa Toulon will be familiar to genre fans as the evil Ursa from "Superman" and "Superman II". Guy Rolfe (Toulon), Richard Lynch (Major Krauss) and Ian Abercrombie (Doctor Hess) also deliver strong performances.

I was surprised at how high budget this film looks. Due to the season in which the film was made, the director settled on filming the external shots over 3 days on the Universal backlot rather than shoot on location in Europe. The results are impressively convincing.

My only complaint was that on the DVD I watched, the Ultra-Stereo soundtrack mixing had a heavy bias to the left channel.

"Puppet Master 3" is something of a rarity thesedays but it's well worth tracking down if you're a fan of the series.

I was hoping this was going to be Sequel to the Second, which kind of make the end of part useless.

This movie now prequel and back in 40's or 50's when there a war going on.

I liked the fact we get see how some Puppets came to mind however this movie were I think they lose there Creepy factor.

The plot was decent, it flowed really well thought-out the movie, there were some bloody moment but nothing to gory.

The acting wasn't to be in this movie, it's can be wooden now and again, I thought it was decent

I give this movie 5 out of 10, Same and the first one, I don't think it was good as the second one.