Puppet Master Series

Frank O. Pinion

Puppet Master (1989)
Puppet Master II (1990)
Puppet Master III: Toulon's Revenge (1991)
Puppet Master IV: The Demon (1993)
Puppet Master V: The Final Chapter (1994)
Curse of The Puppet Master VI (1998)
Retro Puppet Master VII (1999)
Puppet Master VIII: The Legacy (2003)
Puppet Master IX vs Demonic Toys (2004)
Puppet Master X: Axis of Evil (2010)
Puppet Master XI: Axis Rising (2012)
Puppet Master XII: Axis Termination (2017)
Puppet Master XIII: The Littlest Reich (2018)

I've been a fan of the series since the first film nearly 30 years ago, and watched the first 2/3 films many times in the early 90s. All the sequels/prequels after that were terrible, and I thought the series ended in 2004, with the non-canon, TV movie.

A few years ago I saw they were making a new WWII, prequel trilogy, the "Axis trilogy". Awful films, but I watched all three. I was ready to ignore all future instalments.

However, reading about the new 2018 film, it interested me. Firstly, it's a reboot, the original timeline had become quite messy. Secondly, for the first time in the series, it's a proper horror comedy. Thirdly, it has actual comedic actors, like Thomas Lennon and Nelson Franklin. But most importantly and intriguing to me, the script was written by S. Craig Zahler, writer/director of recent cult classics, Bone Tomahawk and Brawl In Cell Block 99.

I watched the film this past weekend, and it's brilliant, hilarious, and super over-the-top gory. Even if you're not a fan of the original series, this can be enjoyed if you're a fan of bloody B-movie horror comedies. I look forward to more sequels with this tone and production.

correction

I love B level horror but these have somehow escaped me. If I wanted to watch the original should I do that before the new one?

Frank O. Pinion

If you like 80's straight-to-video horror, watch the first two films, and possibly the third film, which is a prequel. After that, the series goes way down in quality, but who knows, you might love the world they create.

You can still enjoy the new 2018 film without having seen any of the others at all, but you'll possibly have more appreciation of it, if you at least watch the first two films.

correction

I love 80's straight to video horror so will definitely watch the original trilogy. Looks like I'll have to buy the DVD's as I can't find them on any of the streaming services. Not even Shudder.