Remember the excitement you felt when your favorite heroes from Marvel Studios got together in The Avengers? Again, Disney found a way to steal great ideas from Full Moon Features. Directed and co-written by Charles Band himself, Dollman vs. Demonic Toys is the convergence of the Full Moon Cinematic Universe (if there’s such a thing). It brings together the worlds of Dollman, Bad Channels, and Demonic Toys.
It’s been a year since the events of Demonic Toys. Officer Judith Gray (Tracy Scoggins) returns, and her unauthorized investigation of the Toyland Warehouse has her in hot water. Tragedy strikes when a homeless man breaks into the warehouse and is murdered by Baby Oopsie Daisy, Jack Attack, Mr. Static, and new member Zombietoid. The soul of the demon absorbs the man’s blood. Still, more blood is needed to awaken him fully.
Meanwhile, on a deserted highway is the solitary figure, Brick Bardo (Tim Thomerson), the Dollman, walking to the town of Pahoota. He heard about the events of Bad Channels and one of its victims, Nurse Ginger (Melissa Behr), who is now only 13-inches tall — just like Bardo. He hopes to provide sympathy and comfort to Ginger. When the two meet, it’s love at first sight as they share a common bond with Bardo being a tiny alien and tiny Ginger being shrunken by aliens.
After the homeless man’s death, Judith is suspended from the force. Undeterred, Judith is determined to stop the demonic toys once and for all. Having heard of the diminutive cop, Judith heads to Pahoota to recruit Bardo. Finding love, Bardo is hesitant about going back into action, but cops need to help cops.
“…love at first sight as they share a common bond with Bardo being a tiny alien and tiny Ginger being shrunken by aliens.”
The biggest problem Dollman vs. Demonic Toys has is it’s only an hour long. Considering that, like a TV clip show, this feels like a promotional short for Dollman, Bad Channels, and Demonic Toys. But, aside from the length, the film is enjoyable. Like a good sequel, it brings back the fun of Dollman and Demonic Toys.
For Dollman, the film corrects many problems I found with the original. Most important, Bardo looks like a 13-inch alien cop. The forced perspective and oversized props are on point. Most scenes he’s in reinforce he’s a tiny man. Also, his love story with Ginger gives his character something emotional to fight for.
As far as Demonic Toys go, it’s all more of the same fun. I loved the makeup, puppetry, and props from Alchemyfx and Michael S. Deak — it’s low-budget perfection. The addition of the machete-wielding Zombietoid is a nice touch, and the kills are just as good as the first film. Unfortunately, there’s just not enough of it, and the story, which involves Baby Oopsie trying to rape one of the leads to create a host body for the demon, feels rushed.
I suppose I should be glad Dollman vs. Demonic Toys is only an hour long. It’s best to give us 60 minutes of pure fun versus 90-minutes of forced, unnecessary action. Besides, the film has everything you desire from Full Moon — guns, gore, and gorgeous girls. So if you’re unsure about getting into the studio’s pictures and want a primer into its franchises, Dollman vs. Demonic Toys isn’t a bad place to start.
"…like a good sequel, it brings back the fun of Dollman and Demonic Toys."
