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I have written previously that I believe Rob Zombie has the best grasp on true contemporary horror. I have enjoyed his original works, as well as his ballsy remake of the original “Halloween.” Seventies-inspired flourishes abound throughout his films, thus taking you back to a time when horror flicks looked as if they were shot at dusk, the real witching hour. Now, he ventures into uncharted territory: The remake sequel. It takes quite a pair to tackle a classic like “Halloween,” so it is little surprise that Mr. Zombie steps up and brings us the sequel to his reworked vision, “Halloween II.”
The carnage wrought by Michael Meyers (Tyler Mane) has left nothing but devastated lives in its wake. The town of Haddonfield attempts to move on past the savage murders, but the disappearance of Meyer’s body en route to the morgue deprives them of necessary closure. Laurie Strode (Scout Taylor-Compton) survived the horror and seemingly ended the monster’s life that Halloween. With the help of the Bracketts, Sheriff Lee and daughter Annie (Brad Dourif, Danielle Harris), Laurie tries to come to terms with the past and move onto the future.
One individual that seemed to walk away better for the tragedy is Dr. Samuel Loomis (Malcolm McDowell). His career has skyrocketed due to his studies of young Meyers (Chase Wright Vanek) and his involvement in the terrible events of that night. He is seemingly shameless in his exploitation of the suffering of so many innocents.
It is now one year later. Meyers’ body has never been found; Laurie continues to have horrific nightmares; Loomis begins a book-signing and publicity tour; and Sheriff Brackett keeps an ever-vigilant eye open. Then, like the floodgates to hell flying open, Meyers returns to finish what he started a year earlier: An unstoppable psychopathic force on a mission to bring closure to his family. Will anyone survive this time?
I, for one, barely did. Zombie has a rare miss with “Halloween II.” The film was far too self-serving to ever have a chance. Where Zombie excelled in the first film, the glorious backstory regarding the creation of the monster that is Michael Meyers, he fell flat this go-round. There was no clear picture of what was occurring. The project lacked the cohesive, well thought-out quality of the first film that utilized the savagery as dressing for the far more horrifying reality of the life and mind of the sociopath Meyers.
Zombie’s constant use of flashback and dream sequences throughout the film served to only further confuse the viewer and break the rhythm of the movie. Further, by overusing both, Zombie canceled out any positive effect they could have produced. I just simply reached a point where I wanted to scream “enough.”
The cast was strong. Margot Kidder, Howard Hesseman and “Weird” Al Yankovic provide smile-inducing cameos. Unfortunately, there were no real scares. It was all done before. Horror was provided by the unbridled savagery of Mane’s Meyers. His vicious assault of each victim was the film’s true terror. There is no pretense in Zombie horror. Unlike the slightly campy original slasher films, Zombie gives the viewer a truly visceral perspective. I have always admired him for this and the change it provided. Sadly, the surrounding material was far too weak for it to matter.
If you are a true “Halloween” fan, chances are you already ran out and caught this one. If you were on the fence, you may want to wait for DVD release. This way you can enjoy it at home. Plus, the possibility of a new director’s cut that may more clearly define Zombie’s vision is a major selling point. As the final product here was a confusing mess, I sincerely hope this comes to fruition. I applaud the effort, but sadly, Zombie fell short this time out. When it comes to cojones, I guess size doesn’t always matter after all.
Rating: W W