Some idiot on here had the gull to claim this one was the worst since The Legacy and that just baffles me. Of course, we're all free to have our own opinions on these things, but that sort of statement makes nearly no sense at all. This entry is a stylish, well-written, well-acted and incredibly fun flick that delivers in ways the franchise hasn't been able to in a long while.
The plot centers around the puppets being caught in the middle of a battle between Allied forces and the nazis once again, with the primary players in the fight being Nazi telepaths (Tonya Kay and Kevin Allen Scott) and the mystic Dr. Ivan Ivanov (George Appleby) and American soldier Brooks (Paul Logan).
Beautifully shot by Howard Wexler and saturated in Mario Bava-esque hyper colorful lighting schemes, this is probably the most stylistically ambitious film in the series thus far. The screenplay by Roger Barron is also a step above average, offering some shockingly good dialogue and character dynamics. The characters feel real enough for us to care about, while still maintaining the pulpy tone that the Axis films have been aiming for. It also benefits by having the best villains in the series since Richard Lynch's turn as Major Kraus in Toulon's Revenge. Kevin Allen Scott and Tonya Kay manage to chew the scenery while still delivering strong performances. No one is phoning it in here. Needless to say, Paul Logan's trademark B-movie tough guy schtick makes him pretty easy to route for.
If I have any complaints, it's that some of the puppets look pretty poor (Blade especially) and the climax is more than a little rushed. But these two minor quibbles do very little to sway my opinion. Axis Termination is an immensely satisfying installment in the series, something it hasn't had in a very very long time.
The plot centers around the puppets being caught in the middle of a battle between Allied forces and the nazis once again, with the primary players in the fight being Nazi telepaths (Tonya Kay and Kevin Allen Scott) and the mystic Dr. Ivan Ivanov (George Appleby) and American soldier Brooks (Paul Logan).
Beautifully shot by Howard Wexler and saturated in Mario Bava-esque hyper colorful lighting schemes, this is probably the most stylistically ambitious film in the series thus far. The screenplay by Roger Barron is also a step above average, offering some shockingly good dialogue and character dynamics. The characters feel real enough for us to care about, while still maintaining the pulpy tone that the Axis films have been aiming for. It also benefits by having the best villains in the series since Richard Lynch's turn as Major Kraus in Toulon's Revenge. Kevin Allen Scott and Tonya Kay manage to chew the scenery while still delivering strong performances. No one is phoning it in here. Needless to say, Paul Logan's trademark B-movie tough guy schtick makes him pretty easy to route for.
If I have any complaints, it's that some of the puppets look pretty poor (Blade especially) and the climax is more than a little rushed. But these two minor quibbles do very little to sway my opinion. Axis Termination is an immensely satisfying installment in the series, something it hasn't had in a very very long time.
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