Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		2.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

Puppet Master III: Toulon's Revenge Blu-ray Movie Review

"Nazis. I hate these guys!"

Reviewed by Martin Liebman October 12, 2012

No mercy my friends. No mercy!

Here's a fascinating example of art imitating art. Puppet Master III: Toulon's Revenge was made by puppeteers bringing their creations to life for the purpose of telling a story of a puppeteer bringing his creations to life. Both the creative team at Full Moon and Puppet Master III protagonist Andre Toulon do their jobs admirably, the former in the process of creating a pleasant and entertaining film and the latter killing him some Nazis in the name of good old fashioned revenge. Puppet Master III continues the line of entertaining and well-made movies from Full Moon's flagship series. It's a prequel to the first and second pictures in the series, telling the tale of a slightly younger Andre Toulon before his significantly darker journeys in Puppet Master and Puppet Master II. The film introduces Six Shooter and depicts the creation of fan favorite character Blade. As with most of the other Puppet Master films, Toulon's Revenge is a midlevel entertainer that's been loving made and that grows on audiences the further they immerse themselves in the series.

This ought to do the trick!

The Nazis are always looking for an edge. Their latest angle is the reanimation of dead soldiers, not necessarily to take up arms and fight again but rather to serve as living dead shields of still-living soldiers. The Nazi Dr. Hess (Ian Abercrombie) has been tasked with the project, but he's not getting very far. The answer may lie in the work of a small-time puppeteer. Erich Stein (Kristopher Logan), working for the head of the reanimation project Major Krauss (Richard Lynch), has discovered the work of Andre Toulon, a man whose puppet show satirizes Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany in a not-so-flattering manner. But the content of the performance isn't exactly what has Stein's interest piqued. The puppets perform without strings or any sort of human interaction. Stein poses as a fellow puppeteer to breach Toulon's inner circle. He surreptitiously learns of a special serum Toulon uses to animate his puppets. When Nazi thugs come-a-calling for the formula, they kidnap Toulon and murder his wife Elsa (Sarah Douglas). Toulon manages to escape and, with the help of his puppets, sets out to exact revenge on the Nazis who murdered his beloved.

Nazi scientists bent on reanimating the dead. A puppeteer capable of animating puppets without strings. An American cowboy puppet in Nazi Germany. Espionage. Deception. Murder. Revenge. How could most any genre fan not like Puppet Master III? The movie is absolutely jam-packed with fan-friendly elements, violence, good characters, fine effect work, and plenty of dead Nazis who kick the bucket in all sorts of interesting ways. The movie perfectly intermixes serious filmmaking with camp, low budget charm with mid budget polish, and a mid-tier story with high likability. The movie enjoys a brisk runtime and even pacing. There's no filler and the characterization, backstory, and drama only serve to heighten the action and lead audiences to root for the puppets and Mr. Toulon, not cheer on every ticking second as is so often the case with lengthier and far more self-important pictures that forget about audience wants and serve only the filmmakers' interests. Puppet Master III strives to and succeeds in delivering a fan-pleasing picture that isn't designed as an Oscar contender but rather a fun little genre diversion that's clearly made with a passion for the style and an understanding of what audiences want to see. Puppet Master III isn't an all-time great movie, but it's a fine example of filmmaking for the purpose of entertaining a core audience rather than trying to appease everyone but the people who really want to see it, which sadly seems to define so many movies anymore.

Puppet Master III stands up well even against some of the larger studio "Horror" pictures. The movie certainly has its moments of excess cheese -- some of the German accents and character portrayals are the embodiment of stereotype -- but therein lies part of the fun. After all, it's a movie about living puppets with drills on their heads and six arms on their torsos, so anyone expecting Schindler's List should probably look elsewhere. One of Puppet Master III's greatest strengths is its ability to combine the absurd with the serious. The plot's alluring if not slightly stale -- revenge for a dead wife is nothing new -- but the movie overcomes that and other shortcomings with well-done puppet effects and a surprisingly strong sense of mood and atmosphere. The film captures a pleasing noir style, and it's made all the more effective by the well-executed puppet maneuvers and kills. The picture is a little more visually gruesome than either of the previous Puppet Master films, but the violence works very well in context and isn't overdone. Guy Rolfe turns in a solid performance as Andre Toulon, capturing some real emotions and finding a unique relationship with his puppets. The performance is of the sort that takes the material seriously but not so much as to eliminate the sense of fun and camp inherent to the story. This is a solid all-around movie that's the perfect jumping-in point for audiences new to either Puppet Master or Full Moon's brand of entertainment.

Puppet Master III: Toulon's Revenge Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Puppet Master III: Toulon's Revenge features a very strong 1080p transfer framed at 1.78:1. Full Moon's Blu-ray is easily the definitive home video version of the film and, hopefully, a sign of very good things to come from the label. Certainly, it's not perfect. Low-light foggy scenes, such as some of the film's early shots, struggle with color transitions, giving the appearance of swirling globular entities rather than silky-smooth natural elements. Grain can be a bit sharp in places and, on the opposite end of the spectrum, a few scenes appear a bit pale and smooth, but generally this is a most impressive release. That film grain gives the movie, generally, a very attractive, natural appearance. Details range for strong to striking. The puppets look fantastically complex in their close-ups, and human skin textures are wonderful as well; Toulon's face, for instance, reveals fine lines and pores almost to a fault. Daytime exteriors also offer some wonderful textures on walls and concrete. Colors are brilliant in daytime exteriors, notably bright red Nazi flags. Even in lower light, viewers will appreciate subtle puppet shading and color transition details. Black levels are fairly deep, never wavering too far from a natural state. Flesh tones likewise hold true. In short, Full Moon has done a marvelous job with this film (and Puppet Master II). Keep up the great work!

Puppet Master III: Toulon's Revenge Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Like Puppet Master II's Blu-ray release, Puppet Master III: Toulon's Revenge features a Dolby Digital 5.1 presentation, and the results are equally disheartening. Though the track opens with a decent low end presentation, things quickly deteriorate into a largely mushy presentation that lacks energy and clarity both. Gunshots limp into the soundstage with a minimal presence, sounding puny and muffled. Various other action effects play with equal disinterest, failing to really ignite the movie and energize the listening audience. Range is limited and the series' hallmark music comes across as a little tight and undefined, like it's being heard through a thin barrier. Fortunately, dialogue is consistently clear and focused, a saving grace in a track that's otherwise a disappointment.

Puppet Master III: Toulon's Revenge Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Puppet Master III: Toulon's Revenge contains six extras, most of them identical to supplements found on the Puppet Master II release. New material includes an audio commentary track and an edition of the "Videozone" magazine that highlights Puppet Master III.

• Introduction (1080p, 2:35): Charles Band, from the set of Puppet Master X, introduces viewers to the wonderful world of Full Moon Blu-ray releases. He also discusses the benefits of the format and what fans can expect from the future. The same as seen on the Puppet Master II disc.
• Audio Commentary: Director David DeCoteau and Screenwriter Courtney Joyner offer a balanced and insightful commentary track that covers all of the expected bases, including shooting locales, the picture's development, cast and performances, technical details of the shoot, and much more.
• Videozone (480p, 25:20): Charles Band introduces this fifth edition of "video magazine" that takes fans behind the scenes of Full Moon Entertainment for a detailed behind-the-scenes look at the making of Puppet Master III. Examined is the plot, the work of Director David DeCoteau, recreating Nazi Germany, shooting locations and set design, the introduction of the new puppet "Six Shooter," operating the puppets, the work of the cast and the characters they play, and much more. The supplement also looks at other Full Moon features and consumer-grade model kits.
• Killer Montage (480p, 1:52): Highlights of the puppets in action from several different films. The same as seen on the Puppet Master II disc.
• Rare Toy Commercial (480p, 1:30): An ad for Full Moon's Puppet Master figurines. The same as seen on the Puppet Master II disc.
• Full Moon Trailers: Puppet Master, Castle Freak, Dead Want Women, Zombies vs. Strippers, Demonic Toys 2, Evil Bong 3, Gingerdead Man 3, Killjoy's Revenge, Puppet Master: Axis of Evil, and Skull Heads.

Puppet Master III: Toulon's Revenge Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Puppet Master III: Toulon's Revenge is the sort of movie smaller studios should strive to emulate. It's not perfect, but it's hard to beat in terms of how well it achieves its goals. The movie is fun and not to be taken all that seriously, but it incorporates just enough drama and characterization to support, but not supplant, the raw entertainment value. The picture offers a good story, nicely acted characters (human and puppet), great mood, and steady direction. This is everything a movie of this sort should be. Full Moon's Blu-ray release of Puppet Master III: Toulon's Revenge features great video, mediocre audio, and a couple of supplements unique to this movie. Recommended.