It’s been 40 years since Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) was attacked by the masked killer Michael Myers. After narrowly surviving that horrible night, Laurie now comes to her final confrontation with Michael Myers. Over the last forty years, Laurie has been preparing for the return of Michael. Naturally, Michael escapes jail, and the killing spree begins. Oh and once again, Michael has escaped on the night of Halloween.
For those who are not aware, this film is best to be treated as a sequel to the 1st Halloween film which was featured in 1978. Thankfully, this new film ignores all the different sequels and remakes that have come our way in cinemas over the last forty years. If you haven’t seen the original, you can still jump straight into this film, but to truly benefit from this film and gain the most from it, I do recommend freshening up with the original 1978 film 1st.
My favourite element in this film is the return of Laurie (Jamie Lee Curtis). Laurie is a character who is now older and has a family to protect (both a daughter and a granddaughter). To top it off, Laurie has been preparing for the return of Michael. Her home is now a fortress, and she is loaded with weaponry (guns, traps, knives, etc.). She still shows fear, but she wants to finish the battle with Michael once and for all and be free from worrying about when Michael will come for her. Laurie, as a character, brings much strength to the big screen- so much so that whenever we don’t see her, I felt somewhat saddened.
Another big plus with this film is the look and sound of this film. Hearing John Carpenter’s original soundtrack brought back to life was a pure joy to hear. The movie also sneaks in many nods to the original Halloween series, in particular the 1st film. Halloween 2018 does something similar to what Star Wars: The Force Awakens did by going back to the original roots and giving fans what they wanted and enjoy the most.
While Laurie takes the lead along with Michael doing his thing, we are given many characters (mostly teenagers) with little back story or interest as to who they are. I feel many viewers will find very little interest in or compassion for the range of teenagers running around, getting drunk and trying to survive the night of Halloween. For a slasher film, I don’t feel we are ever expected to gain significant knowledge of all the characters. If the leads (Laurie and Michael) are built well in this film then I’m happy… and thankfully in this film they are.
The film also introduces a few minor twists which I honestly struggled to enjoy. Thankfully the twists moved on rather quickly, and the story gets back on track with the film in hand. I was also surprised to see some minor humour/jokes sneaking into this new Halloween film. The fun did surprisingly land some giggles for me. Even if some viewers may find the humour out of place, I enjoyed it.
My biggest disappointment other than a couple of weak plots twists was two principal characters and the actors used in this film. Without spoiling the plot, there are two characters here who if I had it, my way would have possibly been recast or had their character profile altered. I found it hard to accept these two characters, and it does affect some keys moments in the film. But again, the two main characters are done correctly, and this complaint about these two actors is somewhat a minor issue.
Overall, this is a fantastic slasher film for those who love this type of horror genre. I loved seeing Jamie Lee Curtis on the screen once again, with her nailing her performance as Laurie. This film is a worthy sequel and provides many nods to the original Halloween film series which many have loved and enjoyed for many years. Certain twists and actors could be in question, but it doesn’t outweigh the fun that can be had here. Halloween (2018) is Now Available on 4K UHD, Blu-ray & DVD!
7.8/10
WALKDEN ENTERTAINMENT
PODCASTS ARE AVAILABLE!
0 Comments