Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		2.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.0

Demonic Toys Blu-ray Movie Review

Stay and play. And die.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman January 14, 2015

Demonic Toys is one of the signature classics in Full Moon Entertainment's extensive library of fan-favorite and cult films that, even decades after release, have retained a significant following amongst genre enthusiasts, collectors, and movie fans who appreciate the blend of low budget and attention to detail quality. This 1992 film essentially takes the formula from 1988's Child's Play -- that film the story of a killer doll come to life -- and expands it to include an entire warehouse of diverse, creepy toys that spring to life and battle against several individuals, most of whom are in the wrong place at the wrong time. Their blood-curdling goal: to restore a powerful demon by way of feeding off the soul of an unborn fetus. It's as crazy as it sounds but ridiculously fun and well made at the same time.

This ain't no game.

When an illegal gun deal goes wrong, a newly pregnant undercover cop named Judith (Tracy Scoggins), who is suffering from vivid nightmares, finds herself holed up in a toy warehouse with two criminals, one wounded, another on the loose. Her partner and boyfriend, who is also father to her child, is dead. As she hunts for one of the suspects, the other is attacked by several toys come to life, an attack that awakens an evil spirit. Meanwhile, a security guard (Peter Schrum) and a chicken delivery man (Bentley Mitchum) find themselves caught in the mayhem. It doesn't take long before they realize that there are forces well beyond their control and understanding at play, forces with a nefarious plan to see an ancient demon reborn.

Demonic Toys feels a little slow out of the gate, but the payoff is well worth the wait. The picture comes structured in a classic Full Moon style, meaning that it pays attention to things like characterization, mood, and setting, elements sorely, and obviously, missing from today's lower-budget films. Demonic Toys ensures a full experience that not only tells a story, but shapes a story, taking time to explore everything at its disposal (which, admittedly, is somewhat limited in scope) and doing so without wasting time. The movie clocks in at well under 90 minutes, and it plays with a quick, heart-racing pace for much of that time, even as much of the movie is centered on small character details and interactions that don't so much mean anything to the greater plot but that do give the movie a greater sense of authenticity that keeps the audience caring about the characters, making their ordeals all the more dramatically intense. It's a shame newer low budget films don't follow suit, but give Demonic Toys credit for ensuring as rich and satisfying an experience as one can squeeze out of what is essentially a knockoff Horror movie made for far less than many of its competitors, contemporaries, and genre films that would follow from studios less concerned about quality and more concerned about the bottom line.

The film also enjoys a firm technical construction. Its visual effects are simple -- it's often evident that puppets are being manipulated just off-screen, for example -- but it all works extremely well and is photographed with a precision eye for convincing the audience that it's all real. What's more, the violence is gruesome but necessary, stomach-churning but with just a hint of absurdity that makes it fun, even if it hurts to see characters that the movie has taken its time to build undergo some sort of mental or physical trauma. Performances are solid all around; the actors take care to make the parts their own and inject a tangible lifeblood into all of them, elevating them beyond typical Horror fodder and making them into people the audience cares for and who seem capable of handling the situation in which they find themselves. Better, the dolls are detailed and wickedly so, appearing relatable and cuddly at-a-glance -- such as a bear and a Jack-in-the-Box -- but that transform into terrifying creatures that are out for blood. Indeed, the entire movie feels significantly larger than its roots. It's fun and capable, a template for how passion and know-how can overcome obstacles like budget and limited avenues for production. For example, the entire movie is essentially filmed in and around a nondescript warehouse which perfectly fits the story and all its needs. It's built around its budget, not something more ambitious forced into a smaller budget, which gives the movie a welcome sense of accomplishment even as it stays within an obvious comfort zone.

Demonic Toys Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Demonic Toys arrives on Blu-ray with a good, though far from perfect, 1080p transfer. Generally, the image looks quite nice, featuring an organic, welcoming film-style appearance, accentuated by a moderate and mostly consistent grain structure. The picture is fairly dark, taking place at night and in lower-light interiors, meaning it can be a bit drab and devoid of pinpoint details and color. Fortunately, however, close-ups frequently reveal complex skin textures, sweat, and gore. Clothing fabrics are likewise nicely detailed, as are little odds and ends around the warehouse and in the background, including Judith's well-worn 1911-pattern pistol and, of course, all of the dolls and toys. Colors are likewise fairly flat, with darker shades and blues and grays defining much of the palette, though red blood and some yucky green doll wounds do stand nicely apart. Blacks aren't too problematic in either direction -- showing neither excess crush nor irritating paleness -- and flesh tones appear accurate. The image does see more in the way of pops and speckles than most will like, but this is otherwise another pleasant, enjoyable, filmic transfer from Full Moon.

Demonic Toys Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Demonic Toys features only a pair of lossy audio options. The 5.1 track feels a bit richer and fuller than the 2.0 presentation, but that's about all it has to offer in comparison. The 5.1 track rarely extends beyond the middle. Music is cramped in the center and while clarity isn't lacking, there's a distinct absence of richness and fullness evident with every note. There's precious little in the way of ambient effects, and what's here largely remains up the middle, with some cursory, and nicely executed, echoes in chapter six. A few gunshots and other action effects are presented with satisfactory heft, but again there's just not much in the way of rich, realistic material here. Dialogue is at least focused and clear in delivery. The track gets the job done, but does so without much of a spark.

Demonic Toys Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Aside from the Demonic Toys trailer (480i, 1:17) and previews for other Full Moon titles, this Blu-ray contains only Videozone (480i, 7:36), a short, vintage making-of.

Demonic Toys Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Demonic Toys may not be the end-all, be-all of the Horror genre, but it's a gem of simplicity and style that compliments a fairly basic story that isn't deeply substantive but that does meet core Horror requirements. It's well made all around, suitably moody and nicely paced, evident even in the "slower" character moments that actually do, most of the time, mean something to the greater whole, even if that's just reinforcing ideas or making a character's struggles feel just a little bit more dangerous and urgent to the audience. This is a must-see for anyone who loves the Horror genre and particularly for those who enjoyed similar films like Child's Play. It's also one of Full Moon's flagship movies and a great jumping-in point for anyone unfamiliar with what the studio has to offer (Puppet Master and Trancers also being excellent "first" choices). Full Moon's Blu-ray release of Demonic Toys features solid video, flat audio, and is unfortunately not as supplement-packed as some of the studio's other releases. Still, Demonic Toys comes recommended on the strength of the film and a satisfying film-quality transfer.