From the warped mind of the true 'Puppet Master' Charles Band comes his latest foray into the world of killer toys - DOLL GRAVEYARD. This is the kind of movie that will have you think twice before you pick on those geeky 'collector kids" and their oh-so-wonderful toys...

Los Angeles, 1911. Young Sophia plays in the foyer of her family's mansion with her only friends - four unique wooden dolls, antique even then. Sophia is lost in a world of her own making when she breaks a fragile heirloom; now Daddy will be so angry. Frustrated by his daughter's obsession, Daddy decides on a perfectly awful idea to make on impression on Sophia - he forces her to bury her beloved friends in the backyard. Tearfully, Sophia complies, and her protectors Baby Doll, The General, The Samurai and witch doctor Ooga Booga are laid to rest. However, when Sophia climbs from the pit she was forced to dig, she slips and breaks her neck! Stunned, her father makes sure no one has seen this incident - then buries his own daughter with the dolls! Bastard!

Los Angeles, 2005. Same house, new family. Guy is your typical toy collecting geek, excited by his latest eBay purchase of a rare doll - err, action figure. His older sister Dee Dee is embarrassed by her sibling's hobbies; she's your typical 'boy toy" future cosmetologist. Single father Cyril doesn't seem to mind his son's collecting, however. He's off on a date, leaving Dee Dee and Guy home to do their chores. Guy takes care of the outside, and while cleaning the backyard, uncovers the Samurai doll. He appreciates the craft - it's 'way cool' - and takes the doll inside for a thorough cleaning. Dee Dee isn't impressed; she has plans of her own while Dad's out and they don't include geeky brothers. As soon as he's gone, Dee Dee's two friends come over for a 'girl's night' - obnoxious blond Olivia and shy Terri (who actually is civil to Guy). He stays in his room while the girls booze it up. But someone might have told the boys about their little party...

Indeed, jocks Tom and Rich arrive at the house. Their first stop is Guy's room, where they harass the boy, insulting him, messing with his dolls (action figures!) and tying him up to keep him out of the way - they want poon! However, the assault is observed by the vigilant Samurai, who knows what to do. As Tom and Rich make their moves on the girls downstairs, the other dolls rise from the cold earth. Guy hears a voice in his head, telling him that 'she will be protected - the ones who hurt her will pay!' Hmmm... Soon the boys will learn what happens when you don't play nice, but will Sophia's influence from beyond cause Guy to go too far, and let the dolls rampage on the guilty and innocent alike?

If you are a fan of the "Puppet Master" series, then DOLL GRAVEYARD is right up your alley. If you're not familiar with Full Moon's unique set of 'killer doll' films, you'll still find this movie a pretty fun go. (Just be prepared for a lot of "suspension of disbelief" moments). Story-wise, DOLL GRAVEYARD is pretty tight, and weaves its extended prologue nicely into the main picture, with a nice "O. Henry" sting at the finale. You'll wonder why the gang just doesn't leave the house when they realize the dolls are homicidal homunculi, but the idea that something so seemingly innocent is lurking about to murder you adds a nice touch of paranoia. When even your home isn't safe anymore, where do you go? There are a few plot points that aren't resolved, which I found kind of annoying - a sentence or two could have fixed them right up. The actors obviously had a great time making DOLL GRAVEYARD, and their excitement transfers well on to the film. Uniformly fine performance - and I liked that the characters aren't relegated to stereotypical roles. The SFX are the main course in this film, of course. The toys may not have the fluid movements of Pixar, but the basic context is vengeful spirits possesses the dolls, so their deliberate movements are perfectly acceptable. The puppets have their unique, murderous nuances and are appropriately creepy, but can you really hate them when they're just trying to protect the one who loves them? Well, maybe when they start trying to kill everybody....

The picture quality of DOLL GRAVEYARD is very good. The color palette is muted (in respect to an 'aged' look), but not muddy; the picture is clear indoors or outside. My only qualm is some of the effects are obviously digital, as well as the title sequence, and they don't seem to mesh well with the rest of the film's look. Audio is fine - clear and distinct, with nice spooky effects when Guy is hearing voices. Incident music fits well with the film images -heavy metal does indeed rule.

Wizard Entertainment has released the DVD of DOLL GRAVEYARD with some nice extras, beyond the trailer and previews we always seem to get. There is a behind-the-scenes featurette, which highlights the puppeteering. You can tell the cast and crew had a ball filming DOLL GRAVEYARD by their production stories - definitely take a look after you watch the film. There is a short blooper reel, which is also a lot of fun, what with the puppet mishaps and all.

DOLL GRAVEYARD may break no new ground (sorry) in the horror genre, but it's a fun little film with interesting characters and wonderfully demented dolls (for the last time - action figures!!!). Charles Band certainly knows what his audience wants, and delivers again. Just remember to suspend that disbelief and enjoy yourself. I know I'll keep an extra eye on my G.I. Joe collection from now on....