Revisiting the Puppet Master series II

 I remember feeling at the time I first watched this that it was almost on par with the first film. It gives you the same location, features and bumps off Tunneler and Leech Woman, does more with the beach and ocean locations, gives Blade more chance to cut and gash, even introducing the memorable Torch, surprisingly hints at the death of a kid with a whip imitating Indiana Jones, gives us a different side to Andre Toulon that is more sinister and obsessive, offers a nice bit of back story to before we first saw Toulon in the original, and is a trivia footnote for Full Moon fans due to stop motion effects dynamo David Allen as director of this second Puppet Master film.

User comments from September 2010

A group of paranormal researchers visit the late Andre Toulon's palatial hotel on top of the cliff overlooking Bodega Bay, coming in contact with the deceased German creator's killer dolls, unfortunate for them. Stop motion effects maestro David Allen got his chance to sit in the director's chair for PUPPETMASTER II, the decision making sense considering it's more or less an f/x movie. Nita Talbot(haha, nice homage to THE WOLF MAN) is Camille, a mystic hired to possibly spot what science can not..mostly she spouts psycho-babble and mumbo jumbo, but she comes in useful when it's time for dolls to execute folks. Elizabeth Maclellan is Carolyn Bramwell, head of the research team, her brother Patrick(Gregory Webb)along with students Lance(Jeff Celentano) and Wanda(Charlie Spradling) also part of this group hoping to discover some sort of paranormal activity. What they do not expect is a resurrected Toulon(Steve Welles), under the disguise of Eriquee Chaneé, wearing bandages to hide his hideous visage due to the deterioration of his corpse(a hat and black cape paying obvious homage to THE INVISIBLE MAN), claiming he owns the property for which they are conducting research. Toulon allows this because Carolyn reminds him of his wife, Elsa. Michael(Collin Bernsen), an author of westerns, is Camille's son and when he is told she has "disappeared", he comes to the hotel resort to seek her out, falling in love with Carolyn in the process. Meanwhile, the puppets, including a new one called Torch(a blow torch on it's arm sets victims on fire), decide to take up where they left off from the previous movie, killing people. Their brains are of interest to Toulon for he needs the human material for a serum which keeps the puppets active and alive(including himself), but eventually the creations are offended that the dolls' creator would choose to have his Elsa(Carolyn)in a human-sized marionette form(there's also a male marionette version for himself)than to keep them restored and living. Dave Allen's creations are the real highlight of the Puppetmaster series and I think that's why there have been so many movies since 1989. The drill-head doll shows up momentarily to burrow a hole in a victim's forehead. Hook also gets in on the fun, slicing and stabbing, but most of his damage is done off screen. George "Buck" Flower and Sage Allen have supporting parts as a couple putting up electrical barb wire around their cabin which doesn't do any good.

It's not surprising to me to read reviews/comments where viewers felt this sequel was better than the first film but Leech Woman never gets to vomit flesh-tearing leeches on unsuspecting victims. So that's disappointing, I guess. Charlie does give you momentary bliss with an unnecessary topless scene before Blade goes to town on her pretty face. The ending offered a potential story involving Talbot's possessed mannequin body and the puppets heading for a home for delinquent children that is never followed... Once again the puppets turn on the evil adult when they are feeling betrayed. I'm not sure if the resurrection fluid idea stuck well with me but it is diabolical considering how the goop that keeps the puppets animated must be strengthened by human brains!