Demonic Toys: Jack-Attack (2023)

I’m assuming that these side quests for characters from “Demonic Toys” and “Puppet Master” are leading to something big down the road, but I can’t be too sure. Truthfully the side quest/spin offs of the flagship Full Moon franchises have been really hit or miss, but “Jack-Attack” has so far been one of the best. It’s only an hour in length and is short on story, but it compensates in carnage and some cool kills.

After witnessing the death of her grandmother by the teeth of Jack-Attack, Lily is orphaned and rendered mute from the trauma. Now sent to live with a new foster family, her situation becomes nightmarish when she’s tracked down by demonic jack in the box Jack-Attack and his murderous handler Dimples. Pseudo-“Demonic Toys” sequel “Jack-Attack” fancies itself a B horror movie and in that respect it makes good on its promise. Director William Butler keeps true to the low budget nature of these horror chapters, maintaining a tongue in cheek attitude while also expanding on the mythos.

There’s a ton of mythology and canon attached to these monsters that were hardly explored in their original movies and I give Full Moon credit for taking these series’ and trying to add more dimensions to them. “Jack-Attack” is basically “Child’s Play II” mixed with “Basket case” in where Jack-Attack and his caretaker Dimples the Clown run around offing people that cross Lily. There is a lot of splatter, including a great death involving an anvil. I just wish a lot of the sequences made more sense. I wasn’t quite sure what the point of the dream sequences were, or why Lily in particular was so special.

In either case, “Demonic Toys: Jack-Attack” is a fine installment of the Full Moon Puppetverse. I’m still crossing my fingers for a spin-off movie with my favorite “Puppet Master” puppet Jester.

Premiering on August 25th from Full Moon Features (FMF).