‘Demonic Toys: Jack Attack’ Review
Stars: Taylor Abigail Rice, Sean Ramey, Carson Polish | Written and Directed by William Butler
I remember enjoying the original 1992 Demonic Toys and its low-budget horror charm, and while easily forgettable there was plenty to enjoy about the sequels too. But as the last one was released in 2010, it came as a surprise when I heard a new movie was coming out in 2023. Perhaps I shouldn’t have been completely surprised because Full Moon Features have been keeping the franchise alive the last couple of years with comics and two TV series – which I need to get around to checking out!
Jack Attack – the fifth movie in the Demonic Toys franchise – shows a young orphaned mute girl who has been gifted a Jack in the Box from the Demonic Toys but she soon discovers this is no good thing.
At less than an hour long, I think it only just reaches fifty-five minutes but as the recent horror hit Host showed a short runtime is sometimes perfectly okay, Demonic Toys: Jack Attack hits the ground running. The opening scene chucks the viewer immediately into the action and we are introduced to the two villains of the movie – a demonic clown and a jack in the box. The clown actually looks very creepy with its hollow eyes, crazy hair and wonky mouth. The jack in the box isn’t quite as effective though as a snake-like creature with a clown head releases itself from it to attack its victims.
With the runtime kept short, we see plenty of these two villains and although the death scenes are often ridiculous, they’re also a whole lot of fun. Unfortunately, they also feature a whole lot of digital gore as well. It’s obviously a lot easier and cheaper to use digital blood and gore for these movies but I wish the companies would use more practical effects – it is absolutely worth it! It doesn’t completely ruin the movie for me but it might do for some.
The acting performances are about as you’d expect from this kind of production. No one is terrible though and the inexperienced members of the cast are generally enjoyable. They keep the action going at a good pace, keep the viewer interested enough about what is happening on screen and you’ll stick around to see those scenes of gore.
The director, William Butler is no stranger to this type of movie. He has made such films as Deadly Dolls: Deepest Cuts, Gingerdead Man 3: Saturday Night Cleaver and the Demonic Toys spin-off Baby Oopsie. He knows what he’s creating here
Demonic Toys: Jack Attack isn’t setting the world on fire but it’s a decent enough addition to the franchise which has obvious appeal. If Full Moon Features want to keep the franchise alive, low-budget and short feature films from an experienced director are a good way to go about it.
*** 3/5
Demonic Toys: Jack Attack will be released by Full Moon on August 25th.
