Horror Movie Review: Puppet Master: Doktor Death (2022)

The puppets are back! Well, just Doktor Death this time. In the second spin-off of Full Moon’s Puppet Master franchise. Although this particular puppet is one of the lesser-known stars of the franchise, it does result in a memorable and bloody movie.

You can read our definitive ranking of the franchise to date, here.

Directed by Dave Parker, Puppet Master: Doktor Death doesn’t have a deep and meaningful story unsurprisingly. There is no time. So, the story can be summed up as Doktor Death goes on a rampage in a retirement home. Both the staff and the residents are due a check-up and his scalpel is particularly sharp.

If you’re a fan of this franchise than that should be more than enough to get your tastebuds salivating. Especially if you have a bit of a thirst for blood.

Coming in at under an hour (with credits included), Puppet Master: Doktor Death is another of Full Moon’s franchise returns that barely qualifies as a movie. However, compared to Evil Bong 888: Infinity High, it actually looks and feels like effort was made.

The story might be nothing to get excited about but the imagination for puppet-led carnage is. It doesn’t take long for the good Doktor to start making house calls and some of the film’s sequences are quite clever, as well as being a lot of fun. Sequences like the body-bag in the morgue, the death of the painter, and the commandeering of a victim’s body to use like a human puppet are great. Hell, Puppet Master: Doktor Death shows more originality in 55 minutes than many of the previous entries have, combined.

The snappy pace and short length also mean it doesn’t overstay its welcome either. Needed, as the characters we have here are extremely bland and are mostly just here to be victims. Most are here to die (except one who has a little more to do) and die they will.

There’s not much in the way of padding overall. Although a dream/flashback sequence to the events of the original movie feels unnecessary. Puppet Master: Doktor Death is for fans of the franchise, nothing more, but thanks to a bit of effort, ends up being a good entry in the long-running series.

Which puppet will be next to get the solo treatment?