[Shadow Puppets]
Plot:Eight strangers with no memories find themselves trapped in an abandoned facility. As they desperately try to find answers and escape, their own Shadows attempt to consume them from the darkness.

Cast: Jolene Blalock, Tony Todd, James Marsters, Marc Winnick, Natasha Alam, Diahnna Nicole Baxter, Richard Whiten, Jennie Ford.

My Thoughts:Great film.

Review:"Shadow Puppets" is one of the few pictures with an above average cast that manages to live up to the talent of it's cast. The film begins crypitclaly with a woman who wakes up inside of a padded room inside what seems to be a mental clinic. To make matters worse, besides being confused and alone, she doesn't remember who she is or how she got there. Soon she meets up with more and more people who are in the same situation as her. While alot of people may see this film's beginnings to be a slight take off of "Saw", make no mistake..."Shadow Puppets" is very different from that film. Especially in the fact that it facors in an ominous supernatural darkness which roams about slicing, dicing, and stabbing the amnesia-struck group, picking them off one by one.

The film works on three main levels, while at the same time juggling three ever-changing stories. How these people got here, and why can't they remember anything, the dark secrets which led to this scenario, and of course what exactly is behind the floating shadow-demon that seems to have it in for everyone. While these three scenarios do connect eventually, the film makes the journey to the answers to the big mysteries a very exciting and entertaining one. "Shadow Puppets" is really a film that keeps you guessing, and that's a hard thing to do in the case of someone like me, who usually figures these things out early on or in the middle of the picture.

The picture also throws out a few red-herrings throughout, as to who could be behind everything, or might be in league with the roaming cloud of darkness. This doesn't normally work in many movies, because twists these days in horror films have become so lazily written, poorly executed, and easily choreographed that anyone with half a brain can see what's coming next. But in the case of "Shadow Puppets", the characters are deep, interesting, and well-fleshed out enough to really get the viewer to believe that a large portion of them could be the films "villain", or "villains", and in some cases the pic manages to make you think that maybe the shadow-demon itself is the main and only antagonist these unlucky people will have to deal with and defeat if they want to get out of the place alive.

Tony Todd's character, a tough intimidating ex-con, stands out the most in the film. His performance is followed up strongly by Jolene Blalock's character, who is really the heart and soul of the group and works to defuse any bickering, and stamp out any potential fights or confrontations, in an attempt to keep everyone focused on the main goal of escape from the clinic. While the film doesn't offer up much blood and gore, it's base story does allow for some, which in the end is perfectly normal for a film dealing with the supernatural and not a human serial killer or wild animal. I personally didn't notice the lack of blood and gore, due to the films creepy situation, and smart script. Along with it's insanely atmospheric set pieces of the dark, quiet, and spooky hospital...keeping me totally into the picture on a level beyond that, and in the end, "Shadow Puppets" offers up a nice couple of twists and caps things off with a pretty intense and exciting climax. It's definitely a film that's worth your time.

Positives:Great atmosphere which blends perfectly with the films overall story. Good performances by Todd and Blalock. An interesting monster, and some smart twists.

Negatives:Nothing major.

Overall:Absolutely worth a watch.





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