Okay so ‘Halloween’ came a bit early this year, as it usually does when Michael Myers makes an appearance in our lives. Oh where to begin, there is just so much to say. First I would like to be courteous and warn readers that this write up will indeed contain plot points, so with that said read at your own risk.
Like most die-hard fans of the John Carpenter series, when news initially broke that Rob Zombie was going to take on the reboot back in 2007 I was highly skeptical as to what would become of the iconic legacy that is Michael Audrey Myers. However, much to my surprise for the most part I was content with his take on the classic story. I personally enjoyed the childhood years we got to see on screen; however I did not like that Zombie tried to give an explanation for Michael’s madness by showcasing that he came from a broken home. In the end it took away from the mystery behind what we were always meant to believe drove his madness…evil. Pushing that aside though Rob Zombie kept the elements of the original film, while adding his own little tidbits here and there which is why I think overall the film was a success. It catered to both new audiences and life-long followers too.
Skip ahead to the present, I wish the same could be said for the recently released “Halloween II.” Rob Zombie returns to continue what he started, however unfortunately I was quite distressed to see just how completely the character of Michael Myers was altered. (I will touch on this shortly…) I am all for new directions and trying new things, but when it comes to an iconic character such as himself there are certain things you just do not change! The film opened much like the original sequel did (or so we think), taking place the same night as the previous film ended. However, after the initial 15 to 20 minutes taking place in the hospital, we discover it all to be a dream inside Laurie’s head. The audience is forced to question whether it really was just a dream or if the dream was of an event that did occur the night she shot him. Depending on how you look at it, as individuals we can pretty much make our own choice in back story to whatever fits better plot wise in our minds.
As the story picks up, we are reintroduced to the characters who survived the previous installment, as well as meeting the newbies (who you know from the moment they hit the screen are simply there as time fillers and a few extra kill scenes.) In terms of character development, one of the things I felt was strongest with this film was the swap in characteristics between Annie and Laurie. Previously, Annie was the party girl who would sneak out to be with her boyfriend when she should be babysitting, while Laurie was always the good girl who obeyed her parents and did not act out. This time around, you’ve got Annie taking charge of caring for Laurie and the hardships she’s had to endure over the last year, while Laurie has become more like Annie used to be; going out to party and not really taking anything seriously. I did feel this worked and was a change that did not take away from what could have been with this film. Unfortunately, I have to say the character of Dr. Samuel Loomis was completely butchered in this film. Zombie took the only other nemesis Michael Myers ever had and turned him into an egocentric money grubbing son of a bitch! Yes, it’s sadly the way of the world today that people will cash in on others misery and their pain, but there was absolutely no point in Dr. Loomis being in this movie. The one thing that all true “Halloween” fans salivate over is the inevitable confrontation between Loomis and Myers…which in my opinion never came this time around. They shared screen time for maybe 5 minutes, and those few moments left much to be desired. Think of it in terms of the point of being completely sexually aroused (the point of no return if you will), then imagine being completely let down…no pill is going to get that rocket launched! Those of you, who have seen the film, know exactly what I am talking about. This finally brings me to Michael Myers himself, who more than anything appears to be a hobo rather than ‘The Shape’ we are all accustomed to and love. “Halloween II” portrays Michael as being more human than we have ever seen him before. He is angry but not as he used to be, this time when he kills you can hear him grunt as he slashes his knife or stomps on someone’s face or even as he bursts through a door. I sat there in the theater watching this and thought to myself, “Okay who is this copycat and where is the real Michael Myers?” Zombie strayed a bit too far for my taste when it came to Myers; this time around he was definitely not “The Shape.”
It’s time I touch on the subplot going on in Michael’s psyche in which he has visions of his dead mother and a white horse (apparently a story which was told to him as a child). I wish I could tell you there was not much screen time devoted to this but alas I would be lying. Sheri Moon Zombie reprises her role as Deborah Myers (Michael’s mother of course), but this time around she is a ghost-like entity. Yes, you read that correctly “Halloween II” has a bit of a ghost story going on as well. Throughout the film Michael continues to see her and all she says is “It’s time to bring us home Michael.” More or less bating him to return to Haddonfield and claim his birthright and baby sister, in hopes of becoming a family again. The end scene I must say was rather weak and slightly confusing. You have a shack in the middle of nowhere with Michael and Laurie inside and the entire police force surrounding them. Loomis enters and attempts to save Laurie, however she is screaming “He is holding me down, I can’t move.” Loomis sees nothing of course, while we the audience and Laurie herself see a young Michael Myers holding her to the ground as her birth mother watches. The entire scene raised the question of what was real and what wasn’t. Why was Laurie also seeing her dead mother and young Michael? This reviewer believes it to be the moment in which her mind was actually fragmenting to the point of complete annihilation of who she once was. Based on the ending, it seems to be a plausible statement to make.
The film will of course find an audience, however I feel this installment is more for the newer audiences who may not be familiar with the original series as some of us are. With the already announced Halloween 3-D due out summer 2010…I have to say I am curious as to what could happen next. I am satisfied that Rob Zombie will not be returning though. Again, I am all for new directions and so forth, but there are some things you just cannot disregard when it comes to a classic. For all of his efforts, Zombie did a decent job back in 2007, but this time around there were just too many classic key elements missing. It just did not feel like a “Halloween” film. I mean hello out of the entire runtime, I think they only played John Carpenter’s score once or twice. Even with everything else that was somehow overlooked, how can you completely disregard those eerie sounds that make you grip your seat and wonder where and when and how “The Shape” will strike next?
