Fantastic!

A Disappointing Continuation

In truth, any opportunity to see the film on the big screen is welcome.

Blistering performances.

Although it wouldn't really matter where you look with this particular doll (or rather puppet). So this is a direct sequel to the ninth entry to the franchise. And the second part of a trilogy. We get the surviving members of the previous movie and they get new enemies and so forth. Who'd have thunk it? I know everybody - you can't kill this franchise.You could have done with less movies to tell the whole story of course, but whaever. So good puppetry again, not so good acting as with almost all of them, and a lot of puppet violence and death and all that. One more until the much praised "Littlest Reich" is on the horizon ...

Puppet Master 10 is the 4th film in chronological order, and the second film of the Axis Trilogy. The story continues directly where 'Puppet Master 9: Axis of Evil' left off. It is a pity, though, that they did not use the same actors to play Danny and Beth, the film's heroes. This installment is more comedic than horror; only its not funny. There's no suspense and hardly any action. There are a few new puppets, built by the Nazis and enemies of the franchise's puppets, but must admit they're rather silly. The 'bitch' fight between Leech Woman and Bombshell was completely and utterly laughable, from the 'acting' perspective, as well as how stocky they appear. The film is also laded with horrible dialogue and acting, probably the stupidest yet.The puppets really look haggard and utterly lifeless. It's hard to believe they were so well done and believable back in the 1989 original. More often than not it looked like a school stage play, and a very bad one at that.

Nazis attempt to create a new army by reanimating corpses, when their plan goes awry they go about using Toulon's Puppet's secret to assist them.Picking up where Axis of Evil left off producer Charles Band's cult creations return. Mr Puppet Master - Band himself directs this instalment and it shows, Axis Rising feels grander than the last, more film-like with better looking locations and production values, plus there's some noteworthy digital and make up effects. The infamous puppets look more like their original designs especially everyone's favourites Blade, Jester and Pinhead. The outrageous new puppets this time around are more welcome and its a kick to see some 'classic' puppets return.What Stephanie Sanditz's German accent lacks in consistency she makes up for in screen presence and looks as Uschi, with Sanditz clearly having fun with the dialogue. Oto Brezina as Doctor Freuhoffer is perfect as well as some of the older supporting cast. The leads have been recast with Kip Canyon now playing Danny and Jean Louise O'Sullivan as Beth - while not the calibre of their predecessors they're certainly better than some of the hammy performances on display and solid enough given what has been spawned from essentially a 1989 cult film.Good B movies are certainly not dead, while suffering from the usual budget restraints as many of its predecessors, to Band's credit Axis Rising flows, looks good, is faster paced and is also slicker than part 9.What has been consistent throughout the franchise is the great music and Part 10, yes X, is no exception, Robert Douglas and the originals scorer Richard Band delivers a fantastic richer main theme and an excellent amount of stings and cues even if the sound design mix is a little misplaced at times.Shane Bitterling's writing injects this Puppet Master with a theatrical and campier tone, nevertheless this coupled with Bands on hand touch makes Rising sexier, bloodier and more fun this time around. While lacking the creepy factor of the first and second it's still an event to be had - puppets, Nazis, zombies, experiments, boobs and blood what more do you want?

Puppet Master X Axis Rising is the latest addition to Full Moon's Puppet Master (PM) franchise. If you like the indie horror series about magically animated puppets with a penchant for bloodshed, you won't be disappointed. Frankly, I don't understand one-star reviews for a movie like this. Axis Rising has a built-in "bad movie" factor, but it's fun-bad in my view. The Nazis play up nefariousness for all its worth, and Brad Potts is hilarious as Sergeant Rock knockoff Sergeant Stone. Paul Arnold cuts a George C. Scott-like figure in his brief appearance as General Porter. And Stephanie Sanditz, who plays Nazi villainess Uschi, gives a deliriously sexual, power-hungry performance with a presence as eye-popping as any hentai girl the demographic for this type of movie could imagine. What else could the straight-to-video horror junkie want? It might have run longer (a common flaw with Full Moon films), but writer Shane Bitterling does a nice job balancing the storyline with his obligation to showcase a slew of creepy puppets. Kenneth Branagh acting? Peter Jackson effects? Polanski atmosphere? Come on! Not to beat the dead horse of believability, but anyone who saw the last PM knows this WWII is not set in our universe (in writer August White's version the U.S. jumps into the fray in 1939). Relax, it's okay if some of the accents and period slang miss the mark. Enjoy the movie for what it's supposed to offer: grue, cleavage, and puppets.