After the release of Puppet Master: The Legacy in 2003, Charles Band agreed that the series was in turmoil. Having rebranded his company as Full Moon Features, Band announced several sequels to past series in 2008. One of the sequels announced was a new Puppet Master movie that returned to Part 3’s WWII setting. To that end, Band hired series veteran David DeCoteau to direct and writer Dominic Muir for the screenplay. Like Killjoy 3, this entry would be filmed at ACE Studios in Foshan, Guangdong, China, founded by co-producer Henry Luk. In place of the original “Videozone,” Charles Band introduced the “Vidcasts,” a series of behind-the-scenes videos fans could follow along. Fans were cautious about whether or not this would live up to the prime era of Full Moon. After having its 2009 release pushed back, Puppet Master: Axis of Evil was released on DVD and Blu-Ray in 2010.
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Synopsis
At the Bodega Bay Inn in 1939, young carpenter Danny Coogan (Levi Fiehler) witnesses two Nazi spies entering Toulon’s room. The spies, Max (Tom Sandoval) and Klaus (Aaron Riber), find that Toulon killed himself and leave the hotel empty-handed. After they go, Danny finds Toulon’s puppet trunk hidden away and takes it back home with him. Meanwhile, Max and Klaus reconvene with Japanese saboteur Lady Ozu (Ada Chao), who plans to destroy an American manufacturing plant. Danny’s girlfriend Beth (Jenna Gallaher) at the plant works in the office and gets roped into the sabotaging plot. Soon enough, the Nazis kill Danny’s mother and brother, holding Beth hostage in a Chinese opera house. The Nazis are interested in Toulon’s secret to bringing the dead back to life, which is how the puppets move. With help from Blade, Pinhead, Tunneler, Leech Woman, Jester, and a Ninja puppet, Danny must stop the Nazis.
Review
While it doesn’t quite live up to Puppet Master III: Toulon’s Revenge, Puppet Master: Axis of Evil is decent. For their low budget, the filmmakers managed to produce a movie that doesn’t look half bad. DeCoteau takes full advantage of the Chinatown locations and injects plenty of fog and shadows to add a noir look. Admittedly, it’s evident in the opening when they cut between the stock footage and the new footage. Still, the attention to detail is impressive, and the recreation of Toulon’s room, in particular, is solid. Also, the new score from longtime composer Richard Band is excellent, mixing the original music with a new track. Though David Allen’s stop-motion is sorely missed, the puppet effects look pretty good, though some of the movements are jerky. Also, adding a new ninja puppet is a nice touch that fits with the regulars.
Performance-wise, the cast generally does a good job, though there are some that stick out in a wrong way. Levi Fiehler is likable as a young man who wants to serve his country despite his condition. Jenna Gallaher is solid as his love interest Beth, and Taylor M. Graham stands out as Danny’s older brother. When it comes to the villains, the acting ranges from good to awful, though not without some caveats. Tom Sandoval is easily the best of the villains, while Ada Chao gives a very stilted and unnatural performance. I’m unsure if it’s because she doesn’t speak English and had to learn her lines phonetically, but it sounds awful. At slightly under 90 minutes, there isn’t a ton of filler, and it gets the job done relatively quickly. Overall, Puppet Master: Axis of Evil isn’t one of the best, but it’s not one of the worst either.
Buy Puppet Master: Axis of Evil from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3zDgJQq.
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