Blunt, unsubtle, forthright, and over the top in its presentation - acting, directing, effects, music, each passing scene. Disjointed, confused, and haphazard in its writing - all but nonsensical, with even more tongue-in-cheek, unnecessary references to prior films than its predecessor. Despite the obvious "direct to video" air, as the film began I saw some potential. That feeling did not last: 'Silent night, deadly night 5: The toy maker' is not a good movie.
The inclusion of Mickey Rooney in the cast should be a boon, but his character is little more than a set piece, and he's not given much opportunity to illustrate the skill we know he has. The first two-thirds of the film seem like a distinctly kluged, disordered mess, and it's only in the last third that we get a scene of meaningfully cheeky, bloody, horror fun - or any genuine plot. Effects range from "questionable" to merely "suitable," and as much of a broadly unenjoyable hodgepodge as 'The toy maker, is, it's difficult to care about rounding details like makeup, props, or set decoration. The final scene is overly long, overstaying its welcome past The Reveal, and the climax is severely dulled as a consequence. I think there are a couple good ideas in the screenplay - but only a couple, and they are not nearly enough to save this from being a dubious wreck. I began watching with mixed but hopeful expectations, and golly was I disappointed.
It's still true that there are worse movies you could watch, including 'Silent night, deadly night 3' as a glaring example. But that's not saying much. Jane Higginson, in her performance as protagonist Sarah, comes closest to producing value for the picture, but she can't save it on her own. Sadly, unless one is committed to watching the entire SNDN series, there's just no compelling reason to check this out. I can hardly call it entertaining - rather, with the confluence of all its flaws and shortcomings, it's kind of boring more than anything else. Whatever it is about 'The toy maker' that caught your eye, this is simply not a feature you need to see.
The inclusion of Mickey Rooney in the cast should be a boon, but his character is little more than a set piece, and he's not given much opportunity to illustrate the skill we know he has. The first two-thirds of the film seem like a distinctly kluged, disordered mess, and it's only in the last third that we get a scene of meaningfully cheeky, bloody, horror fun - or any genuine plot. Effects range from "questionable" to merely "suitable," and as much of a broadly unenjoyable hodgepodge as 'The toy maker, is, it's difficult to care about rounding details like makeup, props, or set decoration. The final scene is overly long, overstaying its welcome past The Reveal, and the climax is severely dulled as a consequence. I think there are a couple good ideas in the screenplay - but only a couple, and they are not nearly enough to save this from being a dubious wreck. I began watching with mixed but hopeful expectations, and golly was I disappointed.
It's still true that there are worse movies you could watch, including 'Silent night, deadly night 3' as a glaring example. But that's not saying much. Jane Higginson, in her performance as protagonist Sarah, comes closest to producing value for the picture, but she can't save it on her own. Sadly, unless one is committed to watching the entire SNDN series, there's just no compelling reason to check this out. I can hardly call it entertaining - rather, with the confluence of all its flaws and shortcomings, it's kind of boring more than anything else. Whatever it is about 'The toy maker' that caught your eye, this is simply not a feature you need to see.