Is The New 'Halloween' Any Good? Here's What The Reviews Have To Say
'RUTHLESS AND RELENTLESS'
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Michael Myers is tough to kill. It'll take more than knives, bullets and really bad sequels to put him on ice, which might be why director David Gordon Green has John Carpenter's blessing to give Myers a worthy opponent: Laurie Strode. The new "Halloween," which sees Jamie Lee Curtis return (not the first time, but shhh) to the role she played in Carpenter's original, casts Laurie as a hardened survivor who's been waiting for a second round with Myers. Is it any good? Here's what the reviews have to say:

This Is A Direct Sequel To 1978's 'Halloween' — Do Not Pass 'H20,' Do Not Collect A Refund For 2002's 'Resurrection'

First the trick: David Gordon Green's "Halloween" sequel pretends like the last nine films in the franchise don't exist, picking up 40 years after John Carpenter's seminal 1978 slasher movie as if none of that other nonsense has ever happened. Now the treat: His take reunites Michael Myers (once again, it's Nick Castle under the mask) with Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), the babysitter who got away, for a final confrontation — one they've both been anticipating all this time, but audiences had no reason to think they'd ever witness.

[Variety]

[Laurie]'s been living with PTSD for years and has spent much of her time prepping for Michael's return – arming up, preparing her daughter and granddaughter for the potential threat, and even praying for him to break out of the facility he's being held in so that she can finish him off once and for all. And then one night, she gets her wish.

[Collider]


Building Off The Original, Green Establishes His Horror Bonafides Pretty Quickly For A First-Timer

From the very first scene, Green's camera angles, editing, lighting (or lack thereof), and use of music all work to build suspense. Sometimes it's scary, other times not, but it's never, ever comfortable. This film will have you on the edge of your seat the entire time, whether out of fear or just plain stress.

[io9]

From his stirring art-film debut, "George Washington," to slapdash comedies like "The Sitter," Green has enjoyed one of the strangest careers ever to straddle the Hollywood/indie divide. In "Halloween," another sharp left turn, he and his cinematographer, Michael Simmonds, demonstrate a solid, efficient grasp of the mechanics of terror, expertly reproducing Carpenter's horror syntax by shooting the murderous Michael (Myers, not Simmonds) in smooth, serpentine long takes.

[The LA Times]

There are kills aplenty, and Green has a good sense for how much is too much. He knows exactly what to show to creep you the fuck out, without crossing the line into full-on torture porn territory.

[Mashable]


Jamie Lee Curtis Makes Grown-Up Laurie Into More Than A Caricature Of A Paranoid Prepper 

At 59, Curtis seems to have fully arrived in her role as a midnight-madness queen, and she has a great time in jeans and a grey fright wig, swinging her shotgun around and screaming at everyone to get in the safe room.

[Entertainment Weekly]

Curtis plays one of the toughest, most combat-ready grandmas ever to grace the screen, a lady who can get tossed over a balcony, fall off the roof, and still pick herself up, if it comes down to it. Karen [Laurie's daughter, played by Judy Greer] may not appreciate her mother's over-preparedness, but it's sure to come in handy for Karen's daughter Allyson (Andi Matichak), one of the few people Green gives us to root for in an ensemble that's frequently introducing characters right before they get killed, or else forgetting about them entirely.

[Variety]

Curtis' complex, gritty performance grounds the movie and gives it an emotional, inimitable feel. How often are heroes in horror movies not just ready for their adversary, but on the hunt for them?

[io9]


The Other Star Of The Original Film, John Carpenter's Eerie Score, Is Back With A Vengeance 

Carpenter's original theme holds up nicely here (updated/remixed with son Cody and Daniel Davies), adding synthesizer chills to scenes in which Michael goes out stalking.

[Variety]

Yes, the classic "Halloween" theme is here, but so is a whole new style of music, a blend of synth and rock – pulsating, pounding, beating like a heart. It's one of the best horror movie soundtracks in years, and without it, "Halloween" wouldn't be nearly as effective.

[/Film]

There Are Also Some Good Comedy Moments, As You Might Expect From A Script Danny McBride Co-Penned

"Halloween" features a good deal of comedy and for the most part, it works. Very few jokes don't land and they're also expertly planted, never taking away from the threat but also letting you take a much needed breath. When the violence and brutality of "Halloween" kick in, they're ruthless and relentless.

[Collider]

Some of its jokes are of the wink, nudge, self-referential "Scream" variety, but the most delightful beats come from ordinary exchanges between ordinary Haddonfield citizens. (Or, in at least one case, between an ordinary Haddonfield citizen and someone else they think is an ordinary Haddonfield citizen.)

[Mashable]

Myers' New Shrink Could've Been Done Away With — As In Cut From The Film, Not– Well, You Know

The ensuing plot moves forward in fits and starts, from an ill-fated prom gathering to a questionable detour involving Myers' latest doctor (Hayuk Biliginer), who developed a bizarre obsession with Michael's derangement.

[IndieWire]

To be blunt, this character is absolutely terrible, and he's involved in a subplot that brings the entire movie to a screeching halt. It's such a wrongheaded idea that I can't believe it made it into the final film.

[/Film]


Ultimately, How You Feel About 'Love Letter'-Style Sequels Will Color Your Impression Of This 'Halloween'

The single-mindedness with which this "Halloween" ties itself to its landmark predecessor isn't strictly a matter of fan service, though that commercial imperative is certainly present. It feeds into an overarching narrative ethos that says Michael Myers — an avatar of pure, banal, motiveless evil — will kill and kill again in ways that are not just inevitable but borderline predictable. And if you know this in your bones, the way Laurie does, you have a slightly better chance of turning the tables.

[The LA Times]

Green makes a number of explicit references to Carpenter's film with dialogue and even shots, but there's a difference between referencing something and actually incorporating it into a new vision. The former is just an echo, and that's often what I felt watching "Halloween" — the echo of the original is loud, but that's ultimately hollow compared to sequels that truly build on what came before instead of just expressing how much they love it.

[RogerEbert.com]

TL;DR

It's rough around the edges at times but wins you over with its passion, its originality, and its excitement. Ultimately, it makes you hope we don't have to wait another 40 years to see the continuation of this version of Michael Myers' story.

[io9]

Watch The Trailer

 

"Halloween" opens in wide release on October 19th, 2018.

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