The PUPPET MASTER franchise is one of the longest-running horror franchises around and in some ways is the heartbeat of FULL MOON FEATURES. Since 1989, FULL MOON has been consistently churning out new features and creating franchises, some more successful than others. Of all the franchises, PUPPET MASTER is most notable in that it is the only one to consistently receive new entries and even a few spin-offs. The canon and timelines for the films alone can be somewhat dizzying, as I found out when I decided to watch them chronologically, but they are dedicated to their narrative even when that narrative is a bit silly. Nevertheless, FULL MOON is once again entering the 4K UHD game with the third entry in the PUPPET MASTER series, PUPPET MASTER III: TOULON'S REVENGE. Is this three-quel upgrade worthy of your collection, even if we aren’t getting the others on 4K as well?

WHAT’S IT ABOUT?

After hearing that mystical toymaker Andre Toulon has managed to create a troupe of sentient, living puppets, Nazi underling Dr. Hess sets his sights on exploiting Toulon's powers for the glory of the Reich. But when Toulon's wife Elsa is killed and Toulon is whisked away by the Nazis, his puppets attack and rescue their maker. Now hellbent on revenge, and with some new stringless assassins in tow, can one man and his murderous marionettes take down the wrath of the Gestapo?

HOW IS IT?

As far as PUPPET MASTER movies go, PUPPET MASTER III: TOULON'S REVENGE (PM3 for brevity) is by far the best one in the series. Not only is it a cohesive story that makes sense, and it also offers some of the best puppet action in the series overall. Perhaps this was the logic at FULL MOON when they decided to release just this one on 4K UHD rather than the first film or any others. We will get to that later, but let’s start with what makes PM3 the best of the bunch.

As far as production values go, FULL MOON movies have a sort of diminishing returns after a certain point. Luckily, when PM3 was made FULL MOON was experiencing heaps of success which translated into much more ambitious filmmaking. By no means do the first two films in the series look low-budget, but they lack the scale of the WWII setting and the dedication to production design that some of the other films demonstrate more plainly. In addition, the plot of the first two films is at best, flaccid. They are mostly vehicles for the puppets, wisely, but they don’t hold up well over time given some of the lackadaisical storytelling. Whereas PM3 is more straightforward with a clear plot that established good from bad, and motivations for both sides that are clear. In the case of Toulon, his cause is extremely sympathetic and let’s be frank if you’re ever rooting for nazis you should really take the time to reexamine your beliefs. So it’s easy to care for Toulon, and having the likes of RICHARD LYNCH as his Gestapo opposite is perfect casting even if the accents don’t always work.

Let’s be clear though, this is a Puppet Master movie, and the puppet action is some of the best the series has to offer. First, we get the introduction of 6-Shooter and the origin stories for Leech Lady as well as franchise favorite, Blade. The use of the puppets as tools of revenge flips the script by putting them in anti-hero roles, a move that works extremely well with this setup. And at a brisk 82 minutes, this is economic filmmaking at its finest. When it comes to downsides, there really aren’t many. The big question here is why release the third entry on 4K UHD rather than the first, or even the first 3? While this is certainly worth the buy if you aren’t currently an owner in HD, others may wonder if they should hold out for something more comprehensive.

HOW DOES IT LOOK?

I have to hand it to FULL MOON here. As a (proud) owner of the Puppet Master Box Set, I was half expecting this to be a simple upscale to 4K and a repackaging of the previous blu ray disc. Perhaps it is the perpetual trend of companies double-dipping with no more than a new 4K UHD scan. While most movies benefit from this, the value can sometimes be lacking. Thankfully, FULL MOON has commissioned what looks like a brand new scan for this release that extends to both the 4K UHD and the blu ray disc. On the whole, this release looks better than the previous one with mild exceptions. The general look of this release feels more natural and less saturated in some of the yellow-orange hues seen on the prior blu ray disc. Images from this release are used throughout the review, and below are comparisons from the 2017 blu ray and the 2023 blu ray (please note: due to Apple’s silly restrictions on 4K UHD software, I’m unable to capture the 4K images for this comparison…Apple, you gotta fix this, please):

HOW DOES IT SOUND?

In comparison to the 2017 release, the major difference with respect to the sound options is that this one has an isolated 2.0 DTS-HD Stereo track as well as the previously included 5.1 DTS-HD track. For this review, I listened to the 5.1 track and it sang on the surround sound speakers wonderfully. Great use of the rear channels in shootouts and to build some tension alongside a great sounding score courtesy of Richard Band. I’m not sure if a new 5.1 track was commissioned for this release or not, but I was not able to discern a difference between 2023 and 2017.

ANYTHING SPECIAL?

Sadly, the only thing that has been updated here in regards to the special features is an additional behind-the-scenes featurette that is about 12 minutes in length. It’s unstructured candid camera kinda fare, so nothing to write home about unless you’re really into the voyeuristic aspect of watching the preparedness and readiness aspects of production. The rest of the special features on the disc are carried over from the 2017 release and the entirety of the features on the 2023 release are below:

BONUS MATERIALS

Audio commentary by writer C. Courtney Joyner and director David DeCoteau
Behind the Scenes of Puppet Master 3: Toulonâs Revenge
Original Puppet Master 3 Videozone
Vintage Puppet Master Action Figure Commercial
Puppet Master Trailers

LAST RITES

PUPPET MASTER III: TOULON'S REVENGE is the best of the series, and this 4K UHD upgrade is more than a slick repackaging as the film looks better than it ever has. For those die-hard fans, this is a must-own, same for those who don’t already own it, and what we really want is the whole.damn.series.

THE GORY DETAILS

Thank you to the fine fiends at MVD ENTERTAINMENT for providing a review copy of PUPPET MASTER III: TOULON'S REVENGE for the crypt. PUPPET MASTER III: TOULON'S REVENGE is available NOW via MVD DIRECT and FULL MOON DIRECT!

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Nov 4, 2020

Matthew Orozco