Review of Puppet Master II (1990) by Ian B — 28 Sep 2018

I've always had a soft spot for Puppet Master II. It's not the best in the series, or even my favourite, but it is the one I've probably seen the most. Like a good sequel should, it takes everything that worked in the first movie and improves upon it (minus the acting).

There's not much of a plot, so this one pretty much jumps right into the puppet mayhem after they resurrect their master, Toulon, to make more of the formula that keeps them alive. Cue the paranormal investigation team that shows up at their abandoned hotel to become the next batch of victims.

That's pretty much it. But what this lacks in story, it makes up for with fun. The puppets have way more screen time, and the practical/stop-motion effects used to bring them to life are surprisingly good for a B-movie.

I also love that they turned Toulon into an eccentric Phantom of the Opera zombie. Puppet Master II has some terrific, creepy visuals (those living dolls!), plenty of gory puppet kills, a wonderfully over-the-top villain and a genuine sense of fun.

It's just too bad the acting sucks...a lot.