Review of Puppet Master: Axis of Evil

Let me start off by saying that I find the Puppet Master mythology to be one of the more intriguing of the horror genre. The idea behind it, the concept and the "lore" supporting it, is far more interesting to me than the concepts of other, better-known horror films, such as Halloween or especially Friday the 13th. There is a mysticism, an aura of magic, around watching the puppets do what they do,that keeps me interested in them, even while other elements of the films sink into the abyss of Z-rated schlock. Sadly, the charm of these puppets is not enough to support their films, especially with the absence of the late David Allen's stellar special effects. Primarily, it seems like the weakest element to these films is the writing, which generally seems rote or amateur. If it's not the writing, then it's the acting, or the production values. In one way or another, something seems off. Axis of Evil is no exception. A direct sequel to the prologue of the 1989 Puppet Master, Axis of Evil branches off into a sort of "side story" about a young man's discovery of the puppets of Andre Toulon,a German puppeteer who killed himself to protect his reanimation serum from the clutches of the Nazis. It then tells the story of his struggle against two Nazi assassins, named Max and Klaus, who are trying to secure the serum and the puppets for Hitler. Also involved is a Japanese saboteur named Ozu, who has her own plans for the elixir, which rhyme with "give serum to the emperor! Much reward! Yay!". The story, while fairly mundane, does have a bit of weight behind it. However, while the story had the potential to make Axis of Evil more than what it is, the execution floored this possibility. The puppet effects, created by Gage Munster, aren't anywhere near as strong or graceful as they ought to be, considering the focus of the film is on the puppets. I understand that these aren't supposed to be Jurassic Park-quality special effects; they're living puppets, after all. But there's still something wrong about their inorganic clumsiness. It veers out of context and into being cheap. Out of special effects, the production design is actually fairly strong, with visible effort put into the sets and costumes. The human element of the film, the acting, isn't terribly shabby in itself; the trouble in this respect comes from the casting. All of the characters who feel off in the film aren't acted out poorly, they're just acted out by people who are too young for the roles. The best example of this can be found in the antagonists. The actors who play the Nazis cannot be far beyond their 20s, while they should be in their late-30s or 40s for the roles of Max and Klaus. Their youth makes them both hard to take very seriously. Also, Jenna Gallaher's character seems to demand "dame", while she gives it "valley girl". On another note, the revised score by Richard Band is refreshing. I really wish I could say better of Axis of Evil, I really do. I want to like the new Puppet Master films like I liked the first wave. But ever since Full Moon Features left Paramount, the studio has been stuck in a rut that is still evident in Axis of Evil. So is not to say that the film is bad; it is improved over the past few installments. I just wish it was better. Axis of Evil does end with a cliffhanger, a setup for the inevitable and imminent sequel, Axis Rising. Here's hoping it's an improvement over this film. Here's hoping it's the 21st-century sequel that the puppets, the fans, and the license deserve.