Transfering souls (or whatever essence you think is inside humans) into dolls is not a new idea. It's kinda new for the Puppet Master series maybe, but yeah been there done that. And done a lot better. That is Puppet Master in general and the idea if we want to be specific.This may be one of the weaker entries (although others may argue that it never had a high point, entry number 12 still out in the open and any further entries that may come after that), but it defines the legacy of it all. And legacy is just another entry of it the whole thing ... Great puppetry and nice special effects overall, if you are into that kind of thing

Curse is probably the loosest movie if you're following the Puppet Master series chronologically being somewhere jumbled up between the original and the second movie. Being a fan of continuity I struggle liking the film as much as I could have. I have a guiltily liking for two of the main leads being Dr. Magrew and his daughter Jane. The movie had a potentially strong story if it remained a little dark and cheesy instead of being flat out silly at points. There weren't enough puppet scenes either seemingly they recycled some old footage they didn't use for previous films in this one to save a few bucks. A lot of fans gripe about the movies end but in my opinion I thought it tied the story together nicely like a bow and it made a legit cool cliffhanger. As far as it goes with the other Puppet Master films I saw it's pretty much on par for the course, not terrible but not good by any means.

After not being terribly impressed by the last two additions to the franchise, I wasn't expecting all that much from "Curse" and this was a blessing disguise. I found David DeCoteau's sequel somewhat a step-down in quality (which at times looked very second-rate), but probably a little more enjoyable if a tad creative in its story (despite a silly script, unintentionally humorous plotting and an abrupt ending). While still being one of the weakest, it skipped that childish feel of the recent ventures… to only deliver on the nasty and gory quota with its nightmarish details (resembling the tone of the original features), but while the jolts and cruelty is there it seemed to meander on its characters interactions and the constant mystery surrounding a disappearance, which is rather predictable to figure out. The puppets have always been the stars and that's nothing new here, as the creations are well-used despite some obvious stock footage from other features. The uncanny appearances and personalities come through, although some are underused; The Jester and especially Leech woman. However there are plenty of images of the puppets cementing how they are best of pals. DeCoteau's practical direction is raw and threadbare, but there's a lyrical guidance that shows in some atmospheric visuals. Most of the performances are particularly lousy and over-enthusiastic, but Emily Harrison seems to be an exception to the trend.

Phew! After the torture of plodding through through parts 4 and 5 (I kid you not it must have taken about 6 separate attempts for me to make it all the way through both those films) the sixth film is the series is actually a lot of fun and, thankfully, a change in direction.What I like about the stronger Puppet Master films is that rather than simply present a film about puppets killing people, there's often a lot more happening. Colourful characters, or set amidst a Nazi uprising, there have definitely been factors that make this straight-to-video series a little more sophisticated than you would expect.This film is not the strongest of the series, but still we're given some nice story elements that keep us watching- the shy Robert taken in by Dr. Magrew, who runs a showroom of oddities, a man who seems to have dark secrets that go beyond the living puppets he now owns.I enjoyed this film, it took the action away from Bogada Hotel, and it doesn't follow continuity with the previous 2 films (thankfully!) It brought a sense of fun, tension and mystery back to Puppet Master.Of course it's not perfect. Yes some of the acting is downright atrocious, and it's clear this film represents director Decoteaus' first steps towards his soft-core "jocks in tight boxers" style of horror film making, opting for looks over talent in some of his male actors, but thankfully it doesn't dominate this film- I watch horror to be scared, not aroused.Overall a fun way to spend 90 minutes, and one of the better sequels.