Jolly, but evil old toymaker Joe Petto (a wonderfully spry performance by the legendary Mickey Rooney) and his weird, surly teenager son Pino (a genuinely creepy portrayal by Brian Bremer) create deadly toys which are designed to kill people. Director Martin Kitrosser, who also co-wrote the bizarre and imaginative script with Brian Yuzna, treats the deliciously loopy premise with admirable seriousness while still adding nice touches of wickedly amusing dark humor (the scenes with the toys attacking people are a riot, with a sequence involving a pair of lethal rollerblades rating as a definite gut-busting highlight) and pulling out all the wacky stops for a gloriously freaky and demented over-the-top surprise conclusion. Moreover, the murder set pieces are staged with real flair and there's a decent amount of splatter. The competent acting by the solid cast qualifies as another substantial asset, with especially praiseworthy work by William Thorne as traumatized mute boy Derek, Jane Higginson as Derek's sweet, loving mother Sarah Quinn, Tracy Fraim as Derek's estranged absentee father Noah Adams, and Neith Hunter as Sarah's spunky best friend Kim. The yuletide setting and Yuzna's characteristic kinky sexual streak (towards the end of the picture we get one of the single most nutty and perverse attempted rapes ever committed to celluloid) give this picture an extra warped kick. James Mathers' polished cinematography boasts a few smooth gliding tracking shots and some strenuous slow motion. Matthew Morse's shivery score hits the spine-tingling spot. Kudos are also in order for Screaming Mad George's funky and creative special effects. Well worth a look for those seeking something different and original.

Not as well done as Monte Hellman's surprisingly good entry in this rather weak horror franchise, but this fifth installment of Silent Night, Deadly Night is likely the second best in the series. Mickey Rooney plays elderly toy maker Joe Petto (get it, Geppetto) who lives with his oddball grown son Pino (you know, Pinocchio) who designs toys intended to kill their owners (which would be children). But the main characters are actually a mother and son who fall into the orbit of Joe and Pino's toy shop following the mysterious death of the boy's father at the hands of a killer toy left on their doorstep. There's a lot of twisted humor throughout the film, which you might expect from producer/co-writer Bryan Yuzna ("Society" "Re-Animator" "The Dentist"). One standout example is a hilariously repulsive scene where a couple in bed don't realize a sentient toy hand has joined late night trysts, making it an unwitting threesome. And without spoiling anything, the film's climax is particularly unexpected and entertaining. Top that off with a supporting role for Clint Howard and you've got a solid fifth sequel for a rather lame horror franchise. However, there's a lot of dullness in-between the interesting bits, but overall it's still worth watching for horror fans. FUN FACT! Mickey Rooney spoke out in protest against the first "Silent Night, Deadly Night" film in 1984, saying the "scum" who made it should be "run out of town" for having sullied the sacredness of Christmas. FUN FACT #2! The building used for external shots of Sarah's workplace is the headquarters of the now defunct Live Home Video, the company that released the movie on VHS!

The Silent Night, Deadly Night franchise is a weird one, the first was about a man who went on a killing spree in a santa suit, the second was about the same mans brother doing the same, the third picked up where the second left off and then suddenly they dropped that whole storyline with part 4 and told a dodgy story about witches.

Well here in part 5 it's another Christmas themed movie with absolutely no connection to the original plot.

It tells the story of a boy traumatised after watching a Christmas toy kill his father. It turns out that someone is creating killer toys, parcelling them up in gift wrapping and sending them to people for Christmas.

Though the movies sfx both practical and cgi aren't great they are saved by some originality. Truth be told I quite liked it despite its glaring flaws.

Starring Mickey Rooney and with a cameo appearance by Silent Night, Deadly Night 4 (1990) star Clint Howard this is an interesting (If a little goofy) horror movie.

The funny thing is that Rooney infamously slammed the creators of the first movie back in 1984. He deemed it disgusting that they'd make a horror movie set during Christmas and publically kicked up a stink about it, then several years later here he is starring in one!

I think this is the best of the Silent Night, Deadly Night franchise but treat it entirely as a stand alone film as that's exactly what it is.

The Good:

Mickey Rooney

Quite original

Well constructed

Great twist

The Bad:

Eyebrow raising finale

Lot of 90's cliches

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

Having the same actor play a different character by the same name in the same franchise is logical, right?