Halloween (2018)

I must admit, I was a bit worried as the Internet released details concerning 2018's Halloween.  While I liked the idea of restarting the series at the end of the original, I also though Halloween H2O handled the concept of Laurie Strode dealing with the aftermath of her encounter with Michael Meyers pretty well.  Though Curtis describes that sequel to Variety as a money grab that started with good intentions (you can read her comments here), I really enjoyed most of it.  Strode's PTSD and alcoholism gave the film some gravity, and the explanation for Michael's return was believable enough.  Okay, the film had a few problems, but I didn't think it was as bad as most.  That might say something about me and my opinions on the latest film, so I just had to put it out there.

As photos from the new film were released, I became concerned that the filmmakers planed to take the franchise into T2 territory.  Turning Laurie into a horror film equivalent of Sarah Conner, as the pictures seemed to hint, suggested this new sequel would take the series into a more action oriented direction, a big disservice to both Laurie and her nemesis.

Well, I was wrong, at least to a point.  Laurie is more badass than in the first film, but the script, and Curtis, took care to make her still vulnerable and not some indestructible heroine who survived by a heavy barrage of gunfire.  And by ditching the other sequels, and the baggage associated with them, Halloween is a worthy successor to the original.  It's quite brutal without being overly gory, it ditches any attempt to why Michael became The Shape (which hamstrung Rob Zombie's take on the character) and is an engaging enough horror film.

Unfortunately, like many horror film sequels, it just doesn't live up to the original.  And I think the problem is that Michael Meyers just isn't as scary as he was in the original.  Not that the filmmakers didn't try, as the movie has some really terrific moments. But the script, written by Jeff Fradley, Danny McBride and director David Gordon Green, just didn't gel into the fright fest that was John Carpenter's original.  Aside from stretching the suspension of disbelief, something most horror fans will tolerate to a point, the script is saddled with making the unstoppable boogieman terrifying once again, which is like waiting for a second lightening bold to strike the same spot.  It might happen, but the chances are exceptionally slim.

Hey, I've got the mask and a knife.

Why aren't you scared?

Halloween opens as two podcasters enter the institution where Michael's been incarcerated for 40 years.  As if this doesn't stretch credibility to the breaking point, they've also been given Michael's original mask from the evidence locker to brandish in front of him.  Michael doesn't react, though the other inmates somehow know this was a bad idea.  The pair leave without any audio other than the other inmates screaming, but no one seems too concerned with this development.  It's as if the two have never seen a horror film in their lives.

Hey, we're podcasters.

We know taunting a serial killer will boost our ratings.

If we survive... 

The podcasters next head to Laurie's fortress of a home, looking for an interview.  She grants them access for a fee, than sends them on their way after a few minutes.  We later learn Laurie has a strained relationship with her daughter, Karen (Judy Greer) when she gives her granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matchak) the money from the interview.  Laurie implores Allyson to take the money and travel away from Haddonfield, though she's apparently not smart enough to take her own advice.  Anyway....

Hey, I've got a pistol and a hell of a lot of guns.

Your argument is invalid, alright?

Michael is being transported to another facility under the care of Doctor Ranbir Sartain (Haluk Bilginer), who took over Michael's case after Dr. Loomis' death.  Naturally, the transport takes place on October 30, and the vehicle crashes under mysterious circumstances, resulting in Michael's escape.

And, as expected, mayhem ensues.

Micheal somehow finds his way back to Laurie's fortress home, for reasons never explained.  He just arrives and starts terrorizing three generations of Strodes, because the film demands Laurie makes one final stand.

At least until the upcoming sequel.

I will say, the filmmakers do a good job, to a point.  The idea that Laurie is Michael's sister is dismissed early on, and we meet a bunch of disposable teens through Allyson, who are likable fodder for Michael to tear through.  The film also contains some nice nods to the original, with multiple scenes playing off Carpenter's classic film.

But nothing seems to gel, and the sequel comes off as another attempt to reboot a tired series.  Too many questions go unanswered and, as I mentioned earlier, Michael's motivation for heading to Laurie's house, and how he knows her address, are dismissed once the script dismisses any familial connection.  Michael's arrival is for no reason other than to set up the final act, which is well done.  It just lacks any sense of logic, as Michael is having a fine time in Haddenfield, slashing up anyone in his path.

Look, the Strode house is down the road a mile.

Why are you bothering me?

Another unanswered question is why the hell Laurie decided to have a child, knowing her attacker is incarcerated just a few miles down the road.  Sure, she reason for staying in town is, as she confesses to Officer Hawkins (Will Patton) is that she's prayed for the day Michael escaped so she could kill him.  But, given that she's waiting for the day an unstoppable killing machine to gain his freedom, having a child seems a really stupid idea.  Another problem is that, later in the film, it's implied that Laurie intended to use Karen as bait for Michael, making her the worst parent ever.

To the script's credit, the inclusion of Officer Hawkins is a stroke of genius.  Not only does he chastised Laurie's confession for staying in Haddenfield in one simple line (delivered brilliantly by Patton) but for his attempt to kill Michael with his patrol car is the most sensible decision any character makes in the entire film.  

I don't care what you think about this photo,

he's the smartest character in the film.  Really.

As for the high school victims, the script allows Allyson and her friends behave like teens, not movie characters.  Though her boyfriend Cameron (Dylan Arnold) is as terrible as a high school crush can be, his fate isn't to meet up with Michael.  That fate is reserved for another, who truly earns the death bestowed by The Shape.

Okay, SPOILERS AHEAD! 

And Allyson's friend, Vicky (Virginia Gardner), who's babysitting a young boy, Julian (Jibrail Nontambu), and her boyfriend Dave (Miles Robbins) both die in a heroic manner that feels realistic.  The only problem is we never learn Julian's fate.  Sure, he makes it out of the house as Michael attacks, but it would be nice to see what happened to him.

As for the resolution, it's pretty well expected, as Laurie overcoming a potentially mortal wound to take Micheal on after Karen makes her stand and reconnects with her mother.  The film does end without the potential of a sequel, but we all know (given the film's box office take), Micheal will return, a phoenix emerging from the flames to try scaring up more box office bucks.

OKAY, SPOILERS OVER.

You know as long as I can fit in this mask,

I'll be back.

The biggest problem with Halloween is it pales when it compares itself to the original.  Multiple shots echo the original, but such imitations makes one realize how trendsetting Carpenter's film was.  It feels like the filmmakers were trying to use iconic moments from Halloween to remind us what was scary about the original, but it comes off as cheap imitation at best.

And the script never explains how Laurie made, or could even afford, turning her home a fortress.  We're expected to believe she could install a "safe room" with a motorized cabinet, multiple high powered outdoor lights and metal doors, all without any implied source of income.  And how she could get several obvious deathtraps past the scrutiny of local building inspectors is another big problem.  Perhaps one might miss that during the film, but the script needed to address this problem, not hope the audience wouldn't think about it.

 I'm all ready for those unwanted trick or treaters.

But my most serious complaint is, like the other sequels in the series, the film neuters Michael Meyers.  He was terrifying in the original, a child who became the embodiment of evil and escaped as an adult to wreak havoc once again.  But, as with the other films in the series, Michael becomes a standard slasher with an agenda and less of the mythical figure set up in the orginal.  While such a character might be fun to watch in a retro-style film, it's a disservice to the legacy of Michael Meyers set up in the original.

The cast is fine.  Curtis gets to be a bad ass, while still channeling the PTSD from H2O, and it does make her a unreliable character for a while, which is nice.  Greer and Matchak are good as Laurie's kin and Patterson is a nice voice of sanity among every other character's unbelievable motivations.  And Sartain gets a really great moment during the second act, in a scene that made me wonder if the filmmakers were going to take the film, and franchise, in a different direction.  

Halloween is a flawed attempt to reinvigorate a series.  Sure it's much better than the previous sequels and reboots, but simply falls short, as most horror do.  Seriously, Laurie, you should have moved, rather than try to raise a child right next to the place housing the killer you rightfully fear.  Honestly, your actions in H2O make more sense than your decisions in this film.

Sorry, this closet is occupied.