The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Let me start by saying that I am a HUGE Puppet Master fan. I like every movie, some I love. And when I watched this, I was very satisfied. The puppets were awesome for the screen time they were given and did what they do best. The acting was average, the gore was good, and the storyline was pretty good. The only errors (which I hate to point out) are the dialogue, amount of gore, and not as much screen time for the puppets as in other films, which was fine due to the budget. However, I only recommend this movie to Puppet Master fans or fans of Charles Band and Full Moon. If you are just a horror film watcher, you will be too judgmental of this film. Go Blade!

The original "Puppet Master" (1989) was an excellent horror movie, and the biggest success for the production company Full Moon. The first two sequels were certainly okay, they both had something to add to the original story. After that, Puppet Master 4 and 5 were shot back-to- back: awful cheap PG-13 movies which really sucked in a big way. That can also be said for the sixth and seventh one. "Puppet Master: The Legacy" was more of a homage, a best-of which included mostly scenes from the earlier ones. It was the eight one if I'm not mistaking. No idea why they had to make another one (part 9 or 10 already, I lost track). Directed by David DeCoteau. He also directed the third one which was actually a pretty good sequel. But that was a-l-o-n-g time ago. He's responsible for cheap garbage like the "Brotherhood" movies. He really should be locked up for crap like that. "Puppet Master: Axis of Evil" is not really that better. The best moments are in the beginning when scenes from the original one are included with William Hickley as Andre Toulon. That is also the big flaw because the quality of those scenes and the new movie couldn't be more different. The story sucks, the cast is pretty awful and painfully to watch. The characters make no sense at all. The puppets are given a very limited screen time. The best scenes are.. again the clips from the original movie. No real horror or gore here, no tension or thrills. Just boring from start to finish. I hope there will never be another Puppet Master sequel and that DeCoteau will never make another "movie". This franchise is just like the "Hellraiser" franchise: it really is a trilogy, the rest is just totally awful...

Oh for the glory days to return! Alas notions of such high calibre and more importantly high concept ideas forever emerging from within out with the doors of full moon seem but a distant memory.The gradual decay with their output over the last few years has been seriously evident with the likes of Gingerdead Man and such like. Ofocurse many with disagree, but as I have been a slave to the Ryhthm of the works of Charles Band, I believe I have seen the best of what the legendary man has produced and it's safe to say that Puppetmaster - Axis Of Evil most certainly is not high calibre nor is it a startling concept.Longtime cohort David Decouteau has never been one to be adventurous when calling the shots as a director, just look at his Rapid Heart movies, just get the camera in focus and let the pretty things do their thing, and once again he shows a distinct lack of flair, but that being said, we do get a few visual set pieces, but these are primarily establishing shots.As for the acting, aside from the main players, Levi Fiehler essaying the role of Danny Coogan our on screen protagonist and his on screen love interest Beth, played by the very fetching Jenna Gallacher, the minor parts afforded screen time do not acquit themselves with any glory, the presence of Ada Chao as Ozu really is a curious one, now as to whether or not the actress in question could actually speak English doesn't bother me one bit, however the delivery of her lines and facial movements really made me question her actual acting ability.Of course the major crime committed on screen, or should that be off screen, was the lack of necessary puppets, if you take away the opening prologue, which was comprised of both new and old footage, which I'll be honest did click together really quite well, but I won't get too carried away with anymore plaudits, because none exist.As for that ending, I don't really feel like I want another helping of the same old thing, if you get to the ending and feel like I did, What just happened. If the rumour's are to be believed, and Full Moon will now be shifting their brand of band over to China, and as cheaply as these movies can be made, should we be shocked if Charles Band delivers another Puppetmaster movie, I will not be surprised, maybe he should take them into outer space, it worked for Leprechaun.Let's hear it for Puppetmaster in the Year 3000, then again let's not.A major dud, without hesitation - 1/10

I remember watching the first Puppet Master film in my teens and thinking it was a pretty good. I remember watching the second and thinking it was pretty poor. I remember watching the third and thinking that, whilst low budget, it was a good film.I say remember as I'm 31 now and it was quite a while a go. But being the film fanatic that I am, I still remember the puppets and their names.Even though more Puppet Master films were made, I didn't follow the series after the third one....until I noticed that a new film had been released and that the story would take place early Toulon days - like the third film, which worked - so I thought I'd jump back in and see where the series was up to.Unfortunately, by the 10th instalment filming is on a micro budget and it shows! I liked the story and thought it was engaging enough. I looked past some of the shoddy acting and poor performances.....but the thing I just couldn't forgive was the lack of budget given towards the puppets! It was poor and disgraceful. At no point did you feel that Blade (my favourite since the first) and co. were alive. There wasn't the slightest effort made at all. If you were to make a home movie about puppets that are alive, the best you'd be able to do to make it look convincing is move the puppet with your hand so the camera can not see - this is exactly what happened in this film. No attempt at animatronics or stop motion capture.The original Puppet Master was made in 1989 - all these years later, it still outclasses this instalment in every department.The good thing that did come out of this film is that my interest is rekindled and I've obtained Puppet Master 1-9 which I'm going to watch!EDIT - Just watch 1-4 as the series goes down hill from 5 onwards :)