Halloween

I half expected the usual, cheap thrills, jumpy moments, and liberties taken with the legacy of Michael Myers, but....

....a total and utter surprise, this was a quality film, one that felt as if it had a level of respect for its original, it respected its roots, but forgot all those that came between, perhaps no bad thing.

Michael Myers the man, he transformed years back into some kind of superhero villain, unable to die, able to die and come back life, here he's treated as just a man, very well done.

The writing is fantastic, I loved the story, and how it played out, if only previous films were this standard. The music was absolutely fantastic, I loved it, the best of the original.

Gripping, well acted, exciting, intriguing. Ranks second after the original. 8/10

The movie geeks who saw this early have been overpraising this to the skies. What i saw was an adequate revival with Jamie Lee doing her best with a totally unbelievable, over the top survivalist version of Laurie Strode, sequences taken whole cloth from the original and the myriad sequels, and strange moments of comedy that belonged in another movie and created weird tone issues. I might be alone in this but H20 was a far superior Laurie vs Michael rematch.

After Resurrection and the Rob Zombie films, it's an understatement to say that Halloween (2018) was a pleasant surprise. Laurie Strode was given the T2 Sarah Connor treatment and is now a formidable badass, having waited forty years for Michael Myers to escape prison so that she can kill him. This is the showdown we've been clamoring for.

If there's one thing Halloween (2018) gets right, it's the protagonist. Laurie Strode is treated with respect here, unlike in other sequels (I'm looking at you, Resurrection). She's been training for forty years, preparing, praying for Michael to break out of prison so she can kill him. Her daughter had to learn how to fight at a very young age, and eventually Laurie was deemed unfit to be a parent. Because of this, they have a strained relationship, and it's believable. There's even a satisfying payoff at the end. Horror filmmakers take note: a little character development goes a long way.

There's also Laurie's granddaughter, and this is where the flaws start to creep in. The teenagers and their drama was the weakest aspect of the movie. Sadly, most of the second act is devoted to these characters that we really don't know or care about. There's Laurie's granddaughter, her boyfriend, the comic relief guy, her ditzy friend, and her friend's boyfriend. That's the extent of their characters. Naturally, they're only there as fodder for Michael (except the boyfriend who mysteriously disappears from the movie), but the fact is that we're wasting time watching these characters interact when there's a much more compelling story on the sidelines.

Comedy is used fairly appropriately in the film, the little boy being the clear standout. But there are a handful of farcical bits that are either ill-timed or simply not funny, or a combination of both. This prevents the movie from developing an overall atmosphere. This isn't so much a problem in the third act, thankfully, but the finale would've been more effective if a bleak atmosphere had been established earlier in the film. A few more wide shots of the streets of Haddonfield in the fall weather; more shots of Michael standing in the background eerily out of focus; limiting the comic relief to one, maybe two characters max; any of these could've been helped.

That's not to say that the direction is poor. Far from it. This is the closest the franchise has felt like a Carpenter movie since the original. Gordon Green does a good job of keeping Michael in the shadows - even unmasked, it's difficult to make out his face. You really get the sense that he is, purely and simply, evil. Background action is also prevalent and well done (as in, there's not a music sting whenever Michael comes into frame). Again, a breath of fresh air after the Zombie films which had the subtlety of a sledgehammer.

This is an excellent sequel to Halloween and a thoroughly enjoyable, well crafted slasher movie on its own. It's wonderful to see the Boogeyman on the big screen again, and now he has finally met his match. Is it a perfect movie? Absolutely not. But Halloween (2018) is something to be celebrated if only for one thing: it proves that slashers can still be scary.

If you see the very first one or remember it very well, right from the start you will see the connection. Yes the credits indicate we get the "true"(?) sequel to the original Halloween. And there are so many nice little treats spread throughout the movie (an actress from the first movie reappearing in a different role, but also shots that are almost the same as in the original ... but sometimes there is a twist for the viewers).

The original two main actors reprising their roles too (even if some may argue you can't tell with Myers because of his mask). This really is a service to fans and a movie that cherishes the original. Of course since the myriads of sequels introduced a lot of stuff, most of which is thrown out the window (no pun intended). One of the primary things being that like in the original, the Killer and the chosen victim are not related. Even so they have a special bond/relationship. So the only movie you need to watch before this, is the Original movie from 1978 - it will be worth your time. The ending of this new one may feel for some like a let down, but it is what it is and even if it feels like a letdown, it still sort of works in the whole picture

When I go see a slasher film I want to see kills and gore a lot of gore. On top of that I would like to be engage completely. Halloween offer me that, From the moment that they visit Michàel in the mental health prison to when he goes on his killing spree in Halloween. The killings were creative. Michàel Myers was brutal and pure evil in this one. Some of my favorite scenes were the baby sit scene. The scene where You see Michàel waking around the house and later appears inside the house in the same shot without cut.

I tried watching the rob zombie Halloween and I thought it was boring, compare to this is engaging, creative and completely fun ride.

Grade B