For this latest Philm Phreaks review I'm looking at a DVD of a movie called "Puppet Master: The Legacy." The movie was a direct to video release from 2003, and this is a remastered version of it. 

The very first sentence of the cover blurb proclaims that this movie is "The 8th and strangest" of all of the "Puppet Master" films. Well, I would have to agree with both of those things. This is also probably the weakest of the bunch. Still, it's "Puppet Master," so it has its charms. 

There are definitely some people who will find this movie particularly effective. First, if you aren't all that concerned with story and just like kill scenes and footage of the killer puppets, this will probably be your favorite in the series. It's packed full of those scenes, and some great ones at that. If you haven't seen any "Puppet Master" movies and want sort of a summary to catch you up on the whole history, this one is probably recommended for you, too. 

For those who don't fall into either category, this is likely to be a little lacking. I think this could have been titled "Puppet Master: The Greatest Kills Collection." That's because the vast majority of the movie is made up of footage from previous entries in the series. 

The new footage is centered on a woman who is some kind of agent or mercenary. She has tracked down Eric Weiss and threatens him in a quest for information. Weiss' character was a central one in the third "Puppet Master" film. In that movie he was a child who befriended the Puppet Master Toulon in Nazi Germany. In this movie he's all grown up, and the agent believes that he has Toulon's secrets for bringing puppets to life. 

The vast majority of the movie is told through clips from the earlier films, recounting the history of the franchise that way. The new storyline seems to be just an excuse to let the filmmakers reuse old footage. On the other hand, it also feels like the set up for another movie because the ending leaves it pretty open. 

The thing is, if you want to remember the other movies, or just like watching the pint-sized mayhem, this is fun. Just don't have your expectations too high. I mean, if you know what you are getting into, this has some merits. 

There are also some bonus features on the disc. For one thing there are number of trailers for other Full Moon films. Those are pretty cool. For me, though, the featurette from the very first "Puppet Master" movie, showing how they made you believe a puppet could walk and kill was the best thing on the disc. I have always wondered how they did such a great job, and this look behind the scenes was enlightening and entertaining. 

So, in general, if you control your expectations, this is worthwhile.  It's clearly not the best movie in the series, but the magic of the puppets has an allure even here. I've always been a fan of those little monsters, and it's good to see them again.