Toulon's puppets battle a bunch of gremlin-like monsters who want to steal the elixir from boyish young scientist Rick Myers (a lively and engaging performance by Gordon Currie). Director Jeff Burr relates the entertaining premise at a brisk pace, maintains a generally serious tone throughout, makes neat occasional use of funky stop-motion animation, and delivers a generous sprinkling of gore. This film further benefits from solid acting from a capable cast: pretty Chandra West as Rick's sweet girlfriend Susie, Jason Adams as smug and jealous jerk Cameron, and foxy Teresa Hill as sensitive psychic Lauren. Gulf Rolfe makes a welcome return appearance as Andre Toulon while Felton Perry has a regrettably small part as amiable scientist Dr. Carl Baker. The gremlin creatures are real gnarly. Moreover, it's cool to see the puppets as the good guys for a change. The tight 80 minute running time ensures that this movie never gets dull or overstays its welcome. Adolfi Bartoli's crisp cinematography gives the picture a pleasing polished look. Richard Band's spirited score hits the nicely spooky spot. Worth a watch for fans of this franchise.
Review of Puppet Master 4
