Axis Termination is the final part of the Puppet Master Axis trilogy, and it's quite a disappointment, lacking the fun factor of the previous two films. It's an overly talky effort, with not enough puppet action, and the acting is decidedly dodgy: Paul Logan as heroic Captain Brooks is wooden, Kevin Scott Allen and Tonya Kay (boasting a Botox trout pout) hide their lack of talent behind dodgy German accents, whereas George Appleby as Russian doctor Ivan Ivanov doesn't even try, his cadence just bizarre.
The film also suffers from bad CGI for the numerous bullet hits (I hate CGI blood), a dreary plot that wastes its interesting 'psychics at war' concept, and uninspired direction from Charles Band, who tries to disguise his apparent lack of interest by swathing everything in strong primary coloured lighting.
Given the delightfully OTT approach Band took with Axis Rising, I had hoped that this one would reach hitherto unseen heights of outrageousness; instead, it all feels very underwhelming.
The film also suffers from bad CGI for the numerous bullet hits (I hate CGI blood), a dreary plot that wastes its interesting 'psychics at war' concept, and uninspired direction from Charles Band, who tries to disguise his apparent lack of interest by swathing everything in strong primary coloured lighting.
Given the delightfully OTT approach Band took with Axis Rising, I had hoped that this one would reach hitherto unseen heights of outrageousness; instead, it all feels very underwhelming.