It's an absolute shame, I tell you! Full Moon had things going so well for Puppet Master; Puppet Master 5, I thought, was a satisfying B-budget film with loads of fun to offer. Then, Full Moon's contract with Paramount ended, and the studio became independent. This, I believe, is to blame for the tragedy that is Curse of the Puppet Master.
It has been said that a good thriller is like a roller coaster; you're taken on a ride that excites you, has several surprises up its sleeve, and doesn't slow until it stops. I would use a different comparison with #6: "Curse" is like the first 30 seconds of a roller coaster; it climbs and climbs up to the top, then plummets to disaster terrifyingly quickly.
This film saddens me, because it could have been the best in the series. All of the actors are good in their roles, and a visible amount of effort was put into the script-work. For the first 50 minutes of this 80-minute-long movie, you think that this film is going to be a step up for Full Moon. Then, with the first murder in the picture, you see the tragedy as it strikes. This is because, terribly enough,the worst element of this puppets' escapade is the puppets themselves!
I don't know what Full Moon was thinking; for the first 50 minutes of the film, the puppets are mostly stock footage from previous films. Lazy, to be sure, but it soon becomes clear that this is better than the alternative; when we are forced to see new footage of the puppets, we are shown renditions that look like Barbie dolls being worked by hand. The walking sequences, which are supposed to involve shoulder movement and something betraying life, are the worst: no effort was put into making our puppets look alive. What's worse, there are actual technical lapses in which the rods by which the puppets are (barely) moved are not just visible, but take center stage! Who was responsible for this rape of our once-beloved puppets?!
I won't complain anymore, at least not in front of you. It just saddens me how far the puppets manage to sink their own movie here, just by being there. If they had been better made, this could have been the best entry in the Puppet Master franchise. But they're not, and because of it, this is perhaps the worst film yet in the series. Cursed indeed.
It has been said that a good thriller is like a roller coaster; you're taken on a ride that excites you, has several surprises up its sleeve, and doesn't slow until it stops. I would use a different comparison with #6: "Curse" is like the first 30 seconds of a roller coaster; it climbs and climbs up to the top, then plummets to disaster terrifyingly quickly.
This film saddens me, because it could have been the best in the series. All of the actors are good in their roles, and a visible amount of effort was put into the script-work. For the first 50 minutes of this 80-minute-long movie, you think that this film is going to be a step up for Full Moon. Then, with the first murder in the picture, you see the tragedy as it strikes. This is because, terribly enough,the worst element of this puppets' escapade is the puppets themselves!
I don't know what Full Moon was thinking; for the first 50 minutes of the film, the puppets are mostly stock footage from previous films. Lazy, to be sure, but it soon becomes clear that this is better than the alternative; when we are forced to see new footage of the puppets, we are shown renditions that look like Barbie dolls being worked by hand. The walking sequences, which are supposed to involve shoulder movement and something betraying life, are the worst: no effort was put into making our puppets look alive. What's worse, there are actual technical lapses in which the rods by which the puppets are (barely) moved are not just visible, but take center stage! Who was responsible for this rape of our once-beloved puppets?!
I won't complain anymore, at least not in front of you. It just saddens me how far the puppets manage to sink their own movie here, just by being there. If they had been better made, this could have been the best entry in the Puppet Master franchise. But they're not, and because of it, this is perhaps the worst film yet in the series. Cursed indeed.