Halloween (2018)
2.5/4
Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Andi Matichak, Judy Greer, Haluk Bilginer, Will Patton
Rated R for Horror Violence and Bloody Images, Language, Brief Drug Use and Nudity
Forty years ago, a little film called "Halloween" defined an entire genre. By taking inspiration from "Psycho" and molding it into a new form, it gave birth to the slasher genre. While undeniably scary and crafted with skill, it was also overrated. The majority of the film felt like set up; by the time all the pieces were set, it was the final showdown with Laurie Strode and Michael Myers. Despite the passage of time and attempt by shock rocker turned filmmaker Rob Zombie to reboot it, Michael never managed to truly die. Now in 2018, Michael has come out of dormancy to do his best to make Haddonfield, Illinois into the largest graveyard and turn his special victim, Laurie Strode, into fish food.
Laurie (Curtis) is actually ready and waiting for Michael. Having lived in such fear after her encounter with him in 1978, her life has been one long preparation for his return (something she sees as inevitable). She lives in the middle of nowhere, turned her cabin into a fortress, and is constantly training for battle (so much so that her daughter Karen was taken away from her at age 12). Karen still has lingering resentments about her mother's paranoia, and as a result, she and Laurie are estranged, something that bugs her daughter Allyson (Matichak). However, when Michael escapes on a prison transfer and makes his way back to Haddonfield to settle a 40 year old vendetta, the Strode women have to put aside old wounds and prepare for war.
For this sequel, indie film icon David Gordon Green has elected to ignore all the other films in the franchise except for the original. Laurie and Michael are no longer related, she never had a fake identity as a prep school headmistress named Keri Tate, and the reported mystical mumbo jumbo from the sequels that reportedly infected Laurie-less sequels and Zombie's reboot have been deleted. A wise move, although I must admit that including "Halloween H20" in the story would have been nice. Still, while complicated lore (apparently) works for superhero movies, the rule for horror is less is more.
The most interesting aspect of the film is seeing how Laurie Strode has changed over the past 40 years. Once a gawky, wimpy teenager, Laurie is not a gun-toting grandma who packs some serious heat (I thought of her classic line from "True Lies:" "I married Rambo"). While her traumatized mental state was explored in "Halloween H20," it's got nothing on this installment. Curtis is in top form here.
Unfortunately for whatever reason, Green keeps her strictly as a supporting character. For the most part, she's playing tag along with the local cop (Patton) and Michael's present psychiatrist, Dr. Sartain (Bilginer), who is most definitely not a clone of Dr. Loomis. That leaves her granddaughter Allyson and her friends at the forefront for the majority of the film, which is a shame since they're just as boring and stupid as any other generic teen on hand to fill body bags in a horror movie like this. Quite frankly, the only characters of any interest are Laurie and Karen (Greer). Everyone else is either boring or annoying. Especially the pretentious reporters at the beginning of the film, who are so aggravating that I found myself cheering for Michael. The only minor character that does work is Julian (Jibrail Nantambu), the charge of a babysitter. He has the film's funniest lines.
David Gordon Green was clearly the wrong man to direct this movie (Ti West, who directed "The Innkeepers," would have been a better choice). He adds weight to a film that doesn't need it, he focuses on the least interesting characters in the movie, and the film lacks the precision and love that made the original so terrifying. This is a rush job that no fan service or press releases can make up for.
If you do see this movie, I suggest waiting for Blu Ray. The reason is one that the late great Roger Ebert frequently complained about: movie theaters usually dim the lights in a fruitless attempt to save the light bulbs. It's usually not noticeable, but it is here, and makes things hard to see.
This "Halloween" isn't a terrible movie by any means. It has a compelling Laurie Strode, some decent suspense, and a few neat twists. But it is a disappointment.
Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Andi Matichak, Judy Greer, Haluk Bilginer, Will Patton
Rated R for Horror Violence and Bloody Images, Language, Brief Drug Use and Nudity
Forty years ago, a little film called "Halloween" defined an entire genre. By taking inspiration from "Psycho" and molding it into a new form, it gave birth to the slasher genre. While undeniably scary and crafted with skill, it was also overrated. The majority of the film felt like set up; by the time all the pieces were set, it was the final showdown with Laurie Strode and Michael Myers. Despite the passage of time and attempt by shock rocker turned filmmaker Rob Zombie to reboot it, Michael never managed to truly die. Now in 2018, Michael has come out of dormancy to do his best to make Haddonfield, Illinois into the largest graveyard and turn his special victim, Laurie Strode, into fish food.
Laurie (Curtis) is actually ready and waiting for Michael. Having lived in such fear after her encounter with him in 1978, her life has been one long preparation for his return (something she sees as inevitable). She lives in the middle of nowhere, turned her cabin into a fortress, and is constantly training for battle (so much so that her daughter Karen was taken away from her at age 12). Karen still has lingering resentments about her mother's paranoia, and as a result, she and Laurie are estranged, something that bugs her daughter Allyson (Matichak). However, when Michael escapes on a prison transfer and makes his way back to Haddonfield to settle a 40 year old vendetta, the Strode women have to put aside old wounds and prepare for war.
For this sequel, indie film icon David Gordon Green has elected to ignore all the other films in the franchise except for the original. Laurie and Michael are no longer related, she never had a fake identity as a prep school headmistress named Keri Tate, and the reported mystical mumbo jumbo from the sequels that reportedly infected Laurie-less sequels and Zombie's reboot have been deleted. A wise move, although I must admit that including "Halloween H20" in the story would have been nice. Still, while complicated lore (apparently) works for superhero movies, the rule for horror is less is more.
The most interesting aspect of the film is seeing how Laurie Strode has changed over the past 40 years. Once a gawky, wimpy teenager, Laurie is not a gun-toting grandma who packs some serious heat (I thought of her classic line from "True Lies:" "I married Rambo"). While her traumatized mental state was explored in "Halloween H20," it's got nothing on this installment. Curtis is in top form here.
Unfortunately for whatever reason, Green keeps her strictly as a supporting character. For the most part, she's playing tag along with the local cop (Patton) and Michael's present psychiatrist, Dr. Sartain (Bilginer), who is most definitely not a clone of Dr. Loomis. That leaves her granddaughter Allyson and her friends at the forefront for the majority of the film, which is a shame since they're just as boring and stupid as any other generic teen on hand to fill body bags in a horror movie like this. Quite frankly, the only characters of any interest are Laurie and Karen (Greer). Everyone else is either boring or annoying. Especially the pretentious reporters at the beginning of the film, who are so aggravating that I found myself cheering for Michael. The only minor character that does work is Julian (Jibrail Nantambu), the charge of a babysitter. He has the film's funniest lines.
David Gordon Green was clearly the wrong man to direct this movie (Ti West, who directed "The Innkeepers," would have been a better choice). He adds weight to a film that doesn't need it, he focuses on the least interesting characters in the movie, and the film lacks the precision and love that made the original so terrifying. This is a rush job that no fan service or press releases can make up for.
If you do see this movie, I suggest waiting for Blu Ray. The reason is one that the late great Roger Ebert frequently complained about: movie theaters usually dim the lights in a fruitless attempt to save the light bulbs. It's usually not noticeable, but it is here, and makes things hard to see.
This "Halloween" isn't a terrible movie by any means. It has a compelling Laurie Strode, some decent suspense, and a few neat twists. But it is a disappointment.
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