Original subtitles

The world of puppetry is a magical world of imagination.

As you can see behind me, we have many wonderful puppets of different varieties

developed all around the world. We have marionette and puppets, sock puppets.

And what about me?

Why, you're a dummy.

Me? I ain't the one talking to dolls.

Hey, folks, tell me, who's the dummy?

Now, Percy, it would be nice.

Arthur, have you been drinking?

No. Then why are you talking to a piece of wood?

He's trying to make me look stupid.

Boring.

Why the hell did our father keep this guy around for so long?

The hotel is called the Marionette Resort. It's the centerpiece of our

brand.

Well, it's time for a new brand.

Father batted himself on upholding the past and celebrating our tradition.

And I'm going to make it into something great.

I happen to think it already is something great. You have no

imagination. I have ideas, Nadia.

I'm smart.

Modern. Just think what we could do with this space.

A 3D theater.

Everybody loves 3D.

We could make the seats jiggle. Huh?

I have so many ideas, Nadia. So many.

No one cares. The only reason anybody's watching is to see if your lips are

moving. And they are.

Am I right, ladies and gentlemen?

So listen, I just ripped the Band-Aid off already.

We gotta let you go.

Puppet shows are so less entry.

But our families have worked together here for centuries.

I couldn't make changes.

Oh, don't worry. We are making changes.

You need to move out of your trailer by the end of the week.

I took the liberty of packing up the puppets from the show for you.

But the show is my life.

You're gonna just let them do that to us?

You're done running things.

I'm in charge now.

Where are you?

Yes. You need this on our vacation?

Vacation? I thought we were just investigating a magical ley line.

I don't understand. Why are we investigating this one? Because this ley

line happens to rest on the grounds of the marionette resort and spa.

My old stomping grounds. Whenever I need it, it's an hour and hour. Which, of

course, stands for revelry and rumination.

No, it doesn't.

No. I'm packed. That's okay.

All right, this should take a couple hours at most. Exactly, so we have time

for a little sojourn.

Guys, guys, we have been through the ringer recently. Maybe a break will be

good for us.

No.

Librarians don't take breaks. We have to find the ley line and contain its magic.

Uh, yeah. Charlie's right.

But weren't you just saying you don't have enough time to read for pleasure

anymore?

That's true.

And they do look so lonely.

Well, that settles it.

Pack your bags.

Let the gaieties commence.

Let's go. No!

No vacations!

Now that we've approached the resort, don't you just feel your worries melting

away? I'm worried you're not focusing on the ley line and figuring out how to

neutralize it.

Do I have to remind you? This is not a vacation.

A little vacation.

No vacation!

Marionette Resort and Spa.

Smells like an old friend.

So ready for some downtime.

Just me, some sun, and a book. Or twelve.

Let's not forget why we're actually here.

You worry for naught.

You see?

You see?

Dobre dan.

Welcome to the Marionette Resort and Spa, celebrating over 200 years of

wellness. I am Nadia Bebek. My brother and I are the owners.

You look so familiar.

I do?

Yeah.

He's just got one of those faces, doesn't he?

A well-reported face with eyes like pools of chocolate.

A reservation under Pascal?

Perfect. Let me just pull that up.

Thank you.

Okay.

Here are your room keys. Thank you.

And don't hesitate to ask for anything.

No, we won't. Okay.

Have a wonderful stay.

Oh,

how are your rooms? Oh, roomy.

Did they give you a map?

No, but the resort has an app. Not an app, a map. The app has a map.

Right, we need to take it to Papa's show while we are here.

It is the crown jewel of the resort, a feast.

For the tenses.

Seems as though it's not raining anymore.

I, for one, am glad we don't have to see that. I don't do puppets.

But puppetry is an art form.

One, the Marionette Resort is famous for championing.

Resort, no, for puppetry? Ugh.

Yes, as I'm sure you've gleaned from the rustic decor, the Marionette offers more

than the traditional fare of most wellness bars.

Culture, contemplation. Ooh, there's a lake.

Ooh, let me see where it is.

Hopefully it's a puppet-free lake.

You know, it used to be tradition to start the weekend off with a round of

calisthenics.

Sorry, were you saying something?

Vic was just going on about the old days again.

Ah.

Oh, there's an arcade.

I will not be moving from this bar.

Where is the social director?

In my day, group activities were chaperoned by a guide.

You didn't seriously just say chaperoned, did you?

Do I have to look for the ley line alone?

Or do I have to call Mrs. S?

Oh, de la.

Bikram, can you do that anywhere else?

I cannot. It is important to stretch adequately before swimming.

You can't swim in there.

Connor, I am a fantastic swimmer. Did I ever tell you about the time I won the

great swim meet of 1843?

It was wildly competitive.

swimmers from around the world. No, it says right here you can't swim in the

lake. It's got high levels of mercury.

Mercury? Who puts mercury in a lake? You know what? Why don't we go and do our

own thing for a while? Or we could do what we actually came here to do. I

agree. Thank you. With life, sir. Let's meet at lunch.

It is a mouth-watering buffet of local traditional food.

Roasted goose raised right here.

Boiled aubergine and ox meal. And a wonderful mead of honey and vinegar,

often used to treat open... wounds.

Luckily, I am immune to mercury.

As I was saying, you really should try the cold fish stew. The eyeballs are an

excellent source of protein. Oh, and the cabbage three ways.

Boiled, salted, and most importantly... Okay, I just booked us all massages for

ladies. Oh, thank God. My trapezius is killing me from all the reading.

As I was saying, with cabbage, I find it is best to do this before you take a...

And when did we get a nap? Oh, come on.

You're against anything changing around here. You just go on and say no to

everything. Father would hate all this.

And you put sticky torches in the chapel?

Why can't prayer be a party? It's innovative.

So tacky. Oh, my God.

Wait!

Back to cabbages. Did you know, historically, they were used to prevent

scurvy on long sea voyages?

Oh, my God.

No.

This is different. This is not what I remember.

Uh, the app says, oh, they're debuting a new buffet today. Food from around the

world. No, no, no, no, no. This is all wrong. It was always local specialities,

hmm? Where's the pickling station, hmm? The wall of radishes.

Oh, come on. You never know. You might like this new stuff.

I suppose I could try some. I am on vacation after all. You're not on

vacation. Oh, cheer up. We can have a massages later. Why did you book

massages?

What's where you stick that thing, lady?

Are you guys seeing what I'm seeing?

I don't think it's cooked enough.

I

think

you better cancel those massages.

Okay, the ley line here must have created an artifact.

Or infected someone, giving them magical powers.

I told you we should have been looking for the ley line.

Excuse me. Whoa.

Nadia seems like a good place to start the investigation.

The guy she was arguing with must be a brother.

Agreed. Let's split up and survey these sibling suspects.

Okay. Swiftly.

I'm so sorry for your experience. I'm so sorry. You'll get a full refund. You'll

be hearing from our lawyer. I'm so sorry. We don't want to hear it.

Miss Nadia, we couldn't help but overhear that there was a problem at the

lunch buffet.

My brother went behind my back and hired an off-site caterer.

We've always made our food in-house. We are known for it. Cabbage, three words.

But suddenly he wants to throw tradition away and do whatever is popular on

social media. And look how that turned out.

Food poisoning and hallucinations.

Those people think their food came to life and started dancing. Can you

believe that?

So, your brother, he clearly does not appreciate the beauty of this place.

I tried to tell him these changes were a bad idea.

The resort is about preserving the past, transporting you to a simpler time.

A better time.

I admire your commitment to honoring the heritage of this incredible resort.

I just wish my brother could see things the way you do.

But he will never learn.

My sister doesn't really appreciate my vision of the resort.

How long have you two been running this place?

Oh, not long. We inherited it from our father, who recently passed.

He's been losing money for years, and I'm trying to revive it, but Nadia

doesn't understand that you need change to move forward.

The past only weighs you down.

Waterbeds, hookah bars with big screen TVs, and executive lounges, those are

the things that people want.

Is that what people want?

Pardon me for just a second, please.

What are you doing here? Please, you must listen to me. There will be

consequences if you go through with your plans.

Huh?

Timothy, please.

I will not be threatened like this.

Leave. Now.

Or I'll call the police.

Yeah.

I'll be right out.

It's right there. It's everywhere.

Come on, let's go.

No electricity, no computers, and absolutely no phones. Just you

and nature.

The only tablets were ones made of slate.

And in the evenings, rooms were lit by a candlelight.

And it was so cozy.

I mean, in my imagination.

Because I was not there.

I always thought the marionette could be a portal to that time.

Uh, Nadia?

Are you expecting a delivery?

You promised you wouldn't do this.

Every time I open my eyes, I'm scared I won't recognize this place anymore.

That's the plan.

Something new, something fresh, something exciting.

What's exciting about these?

Well, these are edgy. These are avant-garde. Sibling rivalry continues.

These are eyesores, Dimitri. This is my artistic expression.

We could be the hotel of Eastern Europe. Or Burning Man.

With this.

What is this?

This is hideous.

Dimitri.

You know, they say art is supposed to be moving.

Thank God I didn't get these insured. I told you to be careful.

Okay, Art.

Get moving.

It's okay,

it's okay.

How did that happen?

Time

to

go. Come on, inside.

Come on, come on. Everyone inside.

Dimitri, stop! Get out of there!

No, he's not supportive!

What are we thinking? Possession magic?

Whatever it is, the power to control objects could have devastating

consequences. What if it doesn't stop at objects?

What if it starts controlling people?

Another one?

Why are you in so many photos?

Now, we must figure out how the ley lines caused these items to move on

their own. And who wished to wreak havoc upon the quiet blissful solitude of the

marionette resort. Could be Wraiths or Tellpaths. Dummy.

Oh, excuse me.

No, I mean Dummy.

Oh.

I saw this puppet earlier in the lobby when Dimitri was talking to that older

guy. Oh, yes, I recall.

This is Percival.

Ventriloquist dummy. Percy for short. The star of the show.

For a long, long time.

He looks familiar.

Oh, I hate puppets. This is that older guy from the lobby.

He was just warning Dimitri about consequences.

Was it a warning or a threat?

Connor, you and I shall visit this puppet here and discover how he became a

harbinger of doom.

We'll step up the search for the ley line. What part of I hate puppets do you

not hear?

Arthur Piero, world-renowned ventriloquist and puppeteer.

Yes, I am Arthur.

Good day. We are a pair of puppetry aficionados, devotees in the noble art

of manipulation, especially my friend Connor. Isn't that right, Connor?

Yeah, yeah, we're so devoted to their empty eyes, their knobby knees.

From Greek pantomime to the shadow puppets of ancient China, we revere them

all. Not many folk have the patience to sit through a whole show anymore.

Mightn't we come in?

I love what you've done with the play.

Connor, close the door.

Don't look at me like that.

Mr. Piero, I understand that your family have worked at the marionette for

hundreds of years.

My great-great-great-grandfather started the theater here.

People used to come from all over to see his show.

And he was amazing. His voice work, unparalleled.

I mean, or so I heard.

He wrote in his journal it's important for an artist to be in touch with all

the emotions.

Puppetry used to be a respected art form, but now... Now too many

distractions. The entirety of history available at the click of a button, and

yet no one cares to learn about the past.

Oh, I feel...

Obsolete.

Like there is no place for me here.

Like I was just a relic of antiquity.

So, Arthur, talk to me about Dimitri.

Earlier, I heard you warning him about consequences.

Well, I was just... Yeah, your show's been taken off the schedule, and the app

says that the theater's under renovation.

Say, could you possibly show us Percy, your prize puppet?

You must go.

I have to pack and be out of here by the end of the week.

Oh, wow.

I don't care how old the theater is.

We're tearing it down.

No, no, that was a misunderstanding.

They sent moving statues, and I asked... Of course your people are gonna be safe,

I promise.

That wasn't our fault.

Listen, just send a crew down here tomorrow, and I'll pay, okay?

So ley lines are often out of the way.

They're usually found in crevices, ground fishes, and dry creeks. Think

about how many tourists have stumbled across this one.

True, but they just don't splash magic everywhere.

I mean, they need a tent.

Are you saying that I could stand on a ley line and wish for a pony? It could

happen.

Depends how bad you want it. That is awesome.

And what you're willing to sacrifice.

Oh, that's awesome.

Hold on.

I think... This is it.

This is the ley line.

You can't see it, but the ley line is right here.

AP.

This is incredible.

I have never encountered frequencies like this.

I've never been to a ley line before. This is exciting.

These readings, we could use them to our advantage.

Look.

What?

This is Arthur the Puppeteer, so... Those must be... Puppet prints.

Mm-hmm.

Did the puppeteer talk?

He did not.

Which says a lot. Okay, well, we found the ley line. It was magnificent.

Like experiencing humans' resonance at Earth's hand.

Uh, what is the... So glad you asked. It's the electromagnetic field intensity

that occurs between the surface of the planet and the ionosphere. They call it

Earth's heartbeat.

More importantly...

We found this hanky at the ley line.

Pretty sure it's Arthur's. Oh, and there are little puppet footprints leading

back to the resort.

Miss Beck, we need to talk to you and your brother.

It's about Arthur.

We're worried.

You are worried?

I am worried my brother is going to destroy our family legacy.

He has the demolition team coming tomorrow.

This whole place is going to be a nightclub before I know it. I understand

this is hard for you.

But we are concerned for your safety. Please, take us to him.

Yes.

She is in his office. Come.

He's probably installing black lights in there.

You reach Dimitri. I'm not here right now. Voicemail.

Guys, I think you left in a rush.

Probably against his will, by the looks of this.

he'd gotten himself into.

Sir, start the rooms down the hall.

Don't sign it, Dimitri.

Miss Nadia, we will try to find your brother.

Maybe make sure your remaining guests stay in their rooms. For all our

differences, he's still my brother.

Please make sure he's okay.

Okay, so I'm thinking one of Arthur's puppets got activated by the ley line

and kidnapped Dimitri.

Yeah, not just any puppet. It's Percy.

Why do you think it's Percy?

I saw him in the lobby earlier. One second he was there, then he was gone.

And when Vikram brought him up in the trailer, Arthur got weird and kicked us

out.

He is the star of the show, and the show has been cancelled. A diva without his

stage. Perhaps seeking revenge against someone who has nothing more to do with

him. So we're dealing with the Pinocchio situation.

More like a Chucky situation.

Okay, so we have to find the ventriloquist dummy fast.

Best way to do that is ask his owner.

So... An encore performance from our prickly puppeteer is in order. Connor,

shall we return to his workshop and see what more information we can glean?

Absolutely not. That's the worst place I've ever been.

And I've been some places.

Okay, I'll go. You can track down the puppet. What?

Wow, there were no great options from here, were there?

Nope.

Oh, God.

You'll never believe me if I told you what was really going on here.

Both would have to do with an antique dummy gaining consciousness and seeking

righteous retribution.

After Dimitri fired me, he threw me out the staff exit.

I fell down into a clearing with all my puppets. I was on the bed.

That's when it happened.

That place he came to life.

He said he was in charge now. I think he's dangerous.

I didn't know what to do. I don't want him to hurt anyone.

That clearing.

Well, that must be where I found the ley line frequency readings.

That's it.

The ley line frequencies.

I can create a device to deactivate the ley line.

Yes,

and I can help.

No, no, I mean, no.

You keep talking about the olden days.

Is this because you said I could speed up my computer if I cleared all the

cookies, so I went to the kitchen and ate a whole sleeve of snickerdoodles?

Vikram, when I asked you to plug in a lamp, you blew every fuse in the castle.

That's true.

I do that.

Well, not the castle, just...

The trailer.

Okay, fine. You can help.

Pass me that wire and find me a screwdriver.

Arthur, I suppose you have a tuning fork?

Yes, out back for when I used the guitar in my act.

I'll have to go dig for it. Great.

Let's just hope Charlie and Connor have found Percy.

Oh.

Puppet Prince.

Let's follow him.

Oh my God, you're ridiculous.

What is your deal with puppets anyway?

You can't laugh.

I don't laugh.

When I was six, my mom threw me a birthday party and hired a

ventriloquist. Sounds funny.

That dummy knew everything about me. My favorite movie, color, food.

Later, I found out my mom had told her ventriloquist everything ahead of time

thinking it would amaze me, but it didn't.

I was horrified.

And now, every time I see a puppet, I feel like it can read my mind.

Oh, my God, you're laughing, aren't you?

Oh, my God!

Charlie!

All right, so, what are we making?

I'm making a magic tuning fork.

It's the same technology I was planning on using to deactivate the ley line. I

can match the pitch of the magic, thus creating and fixing the neutralizer.

It's the same technology as noise-canceling headphones.

It is.

What are you doing?

My camera.

Just need to borrow the circuit board.

The film is fine.

Yes, it's not enough.

It's wild that you missed all of the advancements of electromagnetic

technology.

I mean, Maxwell's equations were discovered, what, 20 years after you got

stuck in the time bubble?

Time missed a lot, it seems.

I think I know where Percy might be.

Okay,

so

we get in, find Dimitri, and then corner Percy until Vicar and Eliza get here.

You know, that fluttering feeling in your stomach right before you enter a

haunted house?

No.

Right.

Me neither.

Dimitri? Okay, so the plan is I should get close enough to Percy so I can tap

him with Freaksy Neutralizer, and that should incapacitate him.

My.

What kind of gadgets will you think of next?

Ah. Oh, dear.

Perhaps this is a sign. Maybe we should be caught. Never fear, Arthur. I happen

to recall a short-lived magician act that passed through here in the 1840s,

which had a secret entrance installed for a disappearing, reappearing trick.

It was quite impressive.

Yeah, I mean, so it hurt.

Come along.

This way.

Ah, Dimitri! Oh, God.

Oh, good. Let's get this poor chap out of here, shall we? Uh, yeah.

About that.

I'm sorry. I'm not in control of my body.

That was unexpected.

What are you doing?

It's Percy. He's puppeting us. I don't mean it.

I'm gonna kick you now.

Here comes an uppercut.

Hook. Jab.

Leg sweep.

I'm sorry. I can feel what my body's gonna do, but I can't stop it.

My limbs, I can't control them.

Where did you learn how to do that?

It's not me, it's Percy.

I've become the thing I hate.

I'm so sorry. You know I don't mean this.

Give me over to Connor and Liza.

Excellent work. Thank you. Oh, sorry.

Excellent

work, sir.

Thank you.

Okay, hey, wake up. Wake up.

Okay.

What's happening?

There was this puppet. Yeah, I know. We're going to stop him.

Hey! No playing with my toys.

I feel my power growing.

Soon I'll be able to control Dimitri, body and mind.

He'll do what I want, say what I think, act as I would.

I have been manipulated my entire life.

But soon, I will pull the strings.

I'm sorry. I can let you have the theater. You can do your show. Silence!

Oh, God. Oh, my God.

You wanted to get rid of us.

Consign us to some dusty, forgotten attic, like a relic of antiquity.

You wanted to change this place, and we shall.

With my power growing, I will turn this theater into my own cathedral.

And everyone who comes here will be turned into another one of my puppets.

An army of our own. And no one will ever push us around again.

We will be the ones in control.

Oh, God.

It's not working.

Why didn't it work? The number's right. The frequency's correct.

Oh.

Or maybe I'm just a real boy.

What? There's no readings.

Vicar, we have no magic. There's no magic.

No. That is because there is no magic in Percy.

Is there, Arthur?

I know someone else who referred to himself as a relic of antiquity.

What? It wasn't Percy who was affected by the ley line's magic.

It was you.

It truly allowed you to become a puppeteer.

No.

You have been controlling Percy this entire time without even realizing it.

That is how tightly you have bottled up your emotions, put them in a vault,

thrown away at key.

No, I had nothing to do with this. You wanted retribution against Dimitri for

what he did to you.

But you were far too good to do anything about it.

But Percy, on the other hand, embodied with your suppressed rage, split from

you with a lay lion's magic.

Percy is your avatar of anger.

But I'm the victim.

I'm the victim.

I'm the victim.

You don't have the spine to do what needs to be done, Artie.

That's why you're having me do it for you.

It can't be true. I'm a good person. I never complain. I always do what I am

told.

Exactly.

You're weak.

And every time you let someone walk all over you, the raids grew.

And that raids turned into me.

Do something, please.

Why?

He's right.

What? You think not complaining and rolling over for people makes you a good

person? It doesn't.

It makes you a doormat. Makes you pathetic.

Uh, Vikram, what are you doing? Just telling Arthur what he needs to hear.

Why would you say such awful things?

Not awful.

True.

Oh, I cannot help you, Arthur. I can barely even pity you.

Look at you, slithering and begging when you should be fighting.

Stop it. I would never fight anyone.

Not even for yourself.

Oh, you are an embarrassment.

You're a man with no spine.

Stop, stop!

Now, keep going.

Oh, I love this. This is juicy.

You're just a sad old man playing with children's toys.

I am an artist.

You're a joke. You have no skill.

You fumble about that stage like a blithering imbecile.

Stop. Your family will be ashamed of you.

You embarrass their name.

Stop. Make me.

Oh, yes, that's right.

You need a dummy to speak for you.

Enough!

Do not speak to me like that!

I am Arthur Piero, one of the greatest puppeteers on earth. And

my ancestors would be proud of the way I have upheld their traditions.

How dare you question me!

I'm good.

I am sorry I said such horrible things.

I hope you know I did not mean them.

It was the only way for you to reclaim your rage.

And your voice.

Who knew I had so much anger lurking inside of me?

You have spent your life speaking through those puppets.

But it was always you.

All I had to do was give you a push to remind you.

Push to get back my emotions.

Indeed. Our emotions need to exist in balance.

Together. Much like past and the future.

And I thought you were uninterested in my ancient anecdotes.

Yeah, well, it was your knowledge of the history of the resort that got us into

the theater, whereas my high-tech device did nothing.

All the dash. It confirmed my suspicions about Arthur, the final piece of the

puzzle.

I'm sorry I punched you, sir.

It was an honor.

I think you had better take him.

Uh, you sure?

Yes, yes. I think it's time.

But you're retired.

No! Thank you.

On vacation, this one.

Tell me about it. I only got through 300 pages.

300?

What?

Going somewhere?

An old friend from business school just launched a startup, and now he needs

somebody with their finger in the pulse of modern tech.

And I think that might be just more my speed anyway.

Very enterprising.

And I sold my shares of the resort to Nadia.

This week taught me that you need not burn down the past to enjoy the present.

Because a sentient ventriloquist dummy might kidnap you.

Connor.

I can't thank you enough for all your help.

Oh, God, no, it's our job.

And this place is going to look great without all the construction.

Actually, there may be a little construction after all.

Oh? Maybe Dmitry wasn't wrong about everything.

The app has some fun features.

It could be good to refurbish the game room. And we are building a pond in the

clearing by the staff exit to keep people away from whatever happened to

Perth, you know. Yeah, well...

As long as this place doesn't lose its spirit.

Yeah, there are lots of people who enjoy a taste of history.

Yes. Like Vicar.

Where is Vicar?

We know what's going to happen to Arthur.

Oh, I had a wonderful idea for Arthur.

People need to learn what's beautiful about bad.

Puppetry is a very ancient art form that has existed in nearly every culture

and continues to evolve in new and exciting ways.

Today, I will teach you about different types of puppets.

And this is my friend Curtis.

Say hello, Curtis.

Hello, Curtis.

Hey, Curtis is my name, too.

box really necessary for my peace of mind yes it is necessary i think i've

worked out the equation to pinpoint the exact location of atlantis so now i just

everyone gather round i have a surprise for you atlantis will still not be there

tomorrow no

why

a gift from arthur For a mission well done and a

vacation spoiled.

I don't know about you guys, but it's the best vacation I've ever had.

Oh, God, I swear I can sing to my soul.

Funny thing, this mission reminded me of a trip I had to Athens many years ago

where I attended a salon on Plato's concept of the divided soul.

But, of course, you don't want to hear my death-killed stories.

No, you still need to tell us how you won that swim meet. Yeah.

I want to hear all about those organized calisthenics meetings.

Anne, you never finished telling us about cabbage three ways.

Stuffed. That's the third way.

I told you.

So, I'll start at the swim meet. Back then, there was no modern Olympics, but

there were various competitions held at various locations. The resort was the

premier event on the continent.

Oh, competitors.

They would come from all around the world, yearly, to test their mettle.

And I, of course, was and still am an excellent swimmer, as I was taught by

the great Johann Christoph Friedrich Gustmutz from Germany. I've read about

him. Yes, or as they say, from Deutschland, as they demand.

They demand a lot for a country with no sense of humour.

Now, as I was performing a now outlawed technique called the crocodile...