Puppet Master 2
release year: 1991
genre: horror
viewing setting: home DVD, 6/26/13
synopsis: A team of paranormal investigators camps out in the old inn to figure out what happened there.
impressions: This was Ghostbusters gone wrong, but then again, Ghostbusters didn't have killer puppets running around. This movie was just disjointed and often senseless. The exact purpose of the team was unclear, and they were sloppy i.e. what's the point of setting up cameras everywhere if you're not going to watch them after stating the need to do so? Also, a fundamental problem: when you're being attacked by a puppet, it's okay to fight back...no, really, it is! Here we had one case of a person just lying there while a puppet tied her up and then dragged her away, and another case of a person just lying there while a puppet attacked. Here's another example of character/script stupidity: if you just watched a person get killed by an animated puppet, wouldn't you at least consider the possibility that more such puppets could be in the house? No, they didn't. Instead they just stayed around and didn't even worry about danger. Not to mention they saw nothing unusual about the bandaged-up foreign weirdo who just appeared and started wandering around the place. On top of this was a stupid kid who not only abused his inanimate toys, but also didn't see anything wrong with a puppet that moved around on its own. Last but not least was the ending, which made no sense (why did the puppets do that, and then what was their purpose for heading where they were heading?)
body count: 8
acting: Steve Welles was the foreigner under the bandages and actually had a lot of lines to deliver. Elizabeth Maclellan was the redheaded main chick. Charlie Spradling played the hot female scientist chick who had a memorable scene.
final word: Senseless but at least semi-coherent puppet horror.
back to the main review page