This was my childhood franchise and still remains one of my greatest loves. I grew up loving all of these movies, especially the early ones, and I love the original but it's not the most accessible for new viewers, as a lot of people find that first film pretty slow. (I don’t, but I absolutely see where people are coming from, it is much more casually paced than one would probably expect) PUPPET MASTER III is the third entry in a direct-to-video horror series about killer puppets and it is a polished prequel that adds a weight to the series no one could have ever expected.
It stars a cast of seasoned character actors, utilizes the locations of the Universal backlot to appear that it cost ten times more to make than it actually did. The lore established in this entry adds an unexpected depth to the series and even makes the first two better because of it. This one is "holy shit, where did this come from?" good.
The plot centers on a puppeteer in 1941 Berlin, Andre Toulon, whose shows get the attention of the Nazis because they make fun of Hitler. These are puppet shows for children, but grown men are so offended by them that the situation soon escalates to murder.
They also take interest in his puppets, which are so perfectly animated they may actually be alive. In stealing Toulon's secrets, they murder his wife, and the puppet master escapes and vows revenge. It is revealed that all of his puppets were friends and loved ones in life who died at the hands of the Nazis. Suddenly, this becomes a story about Jewish persecution and survivor's guilt, a movie about a man who literally carries his fallen loved ones with him everywhere he goes.
Yes, it's low budget, and delivers on all the puppet carnage you would expect (though, to be fair, the puppets are taking out Nazis, it's cathartic) but they way they work with what they have is staggering and Guy Rolfe gives a genuinely fantastic, aching performance as Toulon. I was honored to get to write stuff set during this movie for PUPPET MASTER: THE GAME and explore the lore and depth of character that this film established.