The devious diminutive death dealing doktor on display delivers another delightful dose of doom in this episode of the durable franchise deliberately doctoring the dynasty to diverge in different directions.

In 1989, a little movie with a minuscule budget of $400,000 was released direct-to-video called Puppet Master. The premise was simply about puppets becoming animated by an Egyptian spell to do the bidding of whoever controls them. The creepy doll slasher flick made by Full Moon Features, created by Charles Band, amassed a huge cult following. His production company has made fifteen Puppet Master movies including sequels, prequels, and spin-offs since then. In 1999, the prequel called Retro Puppet Master ended on a promise to divulge more about the puppets introduced in it but it couldn’t come to fruition until twenty-three years later with Puppet Master: Doktor Death.

When a nurse named Max from Shady Oaks Senior Living dies from a heart attack, he’s replaced by a new recruit, April. She meets the other staff, including Jennifer, Flynn, and Ryan. The latter describes how he’s going to miss his war stories as he deals with his grief. Max had no living relatives so his things will be thrown out or donated to charity. Going through Max’s belongings, April finds the titular creepy puppet in a locked trunk. She starts seeing him randomly around the facility as the body count rises but she’s the only one that sees it so no one believes her, of course.

Director Dave Parker creates suspense by showing the puppet’s shadow moving on the wall behind unsuspecting victims. Classic first-person POV is used to show the puppet running around. Some scenes switch things around so it’s from the perspective of the victim instead, nicely subverting expectations. He also uses camera tricks like tilts, zoom-ins and outs, and tracking shots to add to the sense of dread. I like the practical effects and puppetry for the doll. Over the years they have improved dramatically. That being said, the scale of the doll is off. It’s inconsistent throughout. Puppet Master: Doktor Death also boasts impressive practical gore effects, too.

Jenny Boswell is April. She learns the procedures and meets the residents of the senior centre from her co-workers. Chad Patterson is Ryan, Zach Zebrowski is Flynn, and Emily Sue Bengtson is Jennifer. The acting isn’t the greatest, but it’s not terrible either. All the characters are one-dimensional with little character development along the way. The dialogue is cheesy in an eye-rolling way. If the film were 90 minutes, rather than 60, more time could have been devoted to them. I like the score by Jerry Smith. It’s very reminiscent of the original by Richard Band.

Overall, this is a satisfying addition to the massive Puppet Master franchise. It makes complete sense to make the first spin-off Blade: The Iron Cross (2020). It was smarter to make Puppet Master: Doktor Death a sequel to Retro. It may not answer the questions filling the minds of fans, but it does acknowledge that film and continue the story of the titular creepy doll. There’s enough of a connection to supply more sequels that could reveal what happened to all of the Retro puppets down the road, too. I thoroughly enjoyed it which is why I recommend it to fans of the franchise. And remember, evil comes in all sizes.

8 out of 10