Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich

A down on his luck comic creator named Edgar has just moved back in with his parents in an effort to regroup after his recent divorce. While there, he goes through his deceased brother’s belongings and stumbles upon a strange, skull-faced puppet with switchblade-like hands that he has NEVER seen before. A little research reveals that this is likely one of the famed Toulon Puppets, one of the dozens of equally strange toys made by the notorious puppet maker, and Nazi sympathizer, Andre Toulon. Some 30-years prior Toulon was shot and killed during a police raid of his home where he was discovered to have kidnapped and tortured 4 women. Thanks to the man’s infamy, the toys have become a kind of macabre collectors item, with an auction of some of his puppets being scheduled just a few towns over. Needing the money, Edgar and a couple of friends head to the hotel where the auction is being held. But his attempt at some quick, easy cash turns deadly when all the puppets inexplicably come to life and start indiscriminately slaughtering the hotel guests.

Well, this weekend could have gone better.

Oh, lookie, another Puppet Master film. Be still my tiny, lifeless, wooden heart. Oh, joy… Oh, rapture… Oh… cripes…

Yeah, you know what, after watching the 14 other films in this series it’s kind of hard to muster up any excitement for the whopping fifteenth entry. Granted, Littlest Reich is much different from all the previous Puppet Master movies, because it serves as a reboot/alternate universe film where the puppets and their master Toulon aren’t the ones running from or fighting the Nazis, but one where they in fact are the Nazis. On the plus side, this means that the creators of this film, who for only the second time in the series history do not include Full Moon amongst any of their rank, can veer out of the series pre-established comfort zone created by the rest of the films, and create their own take, all while still using a familiar formula. But, on the downside, it means I have to watch yet another Puppet Master movie that focuses solely on Nazis. So… Yay rah…

I did like the opening credit sequence though, I’m not gonna lie…

As a reboot, the Littlest Reich is surprisingly successful. While it completely flips the script on the Puppets, Toulon and their motivations, it also pays homage to the films that came before. The many familiar Puppets, like Blade and Pinhead, are included, as is tradition in these films, but because the film is darker, and the characters more evil, they’ve been given re-designs to make them look even creepier. It also follows the familiar series formula of introducing new Puppets, except this time instead of just giving the viewer a couple of new additions, the film throws close to a dozen new (and a few old) designs at you, and beyond an extra armless copy of Blade, all of them appear to be unique to the Puppet Master mythos. The movie also has other references, like painting Bodega Bay on the side of a truck, and having the majority of the film take place in a hotel, both callbacks to a series mainstay and the plot of the first film.

Torch! Ma boy! I’ve missed you so much, you cute little pyromaniac!

The acting here also works fairly well. The core group is strong and likable enough, if not a bit cheesy. Though, since this film is also trying to be a comedy, that’s not exactly unexpected. Of course, whether they’re successful or not is going to be up to the viewer. Everyone else is a bit hard to comment on, since the vast majority of the characters consist of hotel staff and guests, none of whom stick around too long, because they’re nothing more than slaughter fodder. So for the most part you really only get a chance to see them for a few scant seconds before they get turned into part of the Puppet’s new pin cushion collection.

Hey Barbara Crampton! Looking sharp.

Gore and nudity hounds will probably get the biggest kick out of this installment. So many people die in this movie, and quite quickly and in grisly fashion no less, that those who seek out blood and guts in their horror films should be fairly entertained. There’s stabbings, beheadings, dismemberments, things going BOOM!… Ya’ll should be happy. And though the series has never shied away from showing skin, there is A LOT more sex and nudity in this film than has ever been present in the films that came before. I was actually kind of surprised to see so much of it, since it’s not really something the other films have really focused so much on before.

The problem the Littlest Reich has is pretty much the same one that plagues all the other Puppet Master films: The Plot. Now, the base story is fine and dandy. You’ve got a group of characters doing what should be a mundane activity, everything goes to hell and they have to escape with their lives. Pretty standard horror stuff. The problem the film has is all the annoying details contained within. And, as per usual with films like this, it’s not so much one BIG thing, as it is a lot of little things that add up. Concepts end up being initiated and then abandoned, seemingly on a whim. Characters, like Barbara Crampton’s, are introduced and built up, only to provide zero pay off. Other supporting characters are brought into the story, only to be dropped at random (read: brutally killed). The movie keeps trying to add emotional depth with the semi-preachy anti Nazi talk, but does nothing to actually earn that depth they’re aiming for, so that whole angle feels awkwardly forced. The film’s tone flip flops more than a dying fish. We never figure out how Toulon got these Puppets to work in the first place, let alone why they suddenly started killing again after a 30-year hiatus. And, perhaps most frustratingly, the film gives you no conclusion. It ends with zero answers, zero resolution, and a crappy attempt at sequel baiting. A sequel, I will point out, that has not been announced in over 5 years. So yeah, a lot of little annoyances that won’t disturb your viewing if you’re just looking for some good ol’ slaughter fun, but will bother you if you’re at all paying attention to anything beyond the blood and boobies.

At this point I want a sequel just so someone can let me know WTF is going on here.

Mild content complaint aside, this reboot, or side story, or parallel whatever-the-fudge you want to call it, is probably one of the best entries in the whole series. Believe it or not, of all the Puppet Master films listed on Rotten Tomatoes, Littlest Reich is the only one to hold a positive score of 70%. Granted, there’s only three listed with a score at all, but still, I think that’s saying something.

That said, this is still very much a ‘genre specific’ movie, with that genre in question being ‘old school slasher with a hint of dark comedy’. So if that’s your jam, then you’re going to have a good time. You just gotta keep in mind that when I say this is a “good” movie, that I mean that in the sense that this is a good Puppet Master movie, and knowing how shoddy most of those are, that means we’re definitely grading on a very forgiving curve. In the grand scheme of movies in general, ‘good’ in this sense means that it’s simply… okay. So adjust your expectations accordingly.

And with that I am officially DONE with the Puppet Master franchise. That’s it, folks. That’s all 15 films, watched (mostly) in order, with increasing amounts of dread. With any luck Full Moon will have more money issues and not tempt me with another one for at least two more years.

Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich is available on a variety of streaming services.

Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich is also available on DVD and Bluray.

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