On H List of Movie Reviews
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Halloween II (1981)
Rate:
6
Viewed:
12/05, 3/08
12/05:
The best part about Halloween II is that it picks up exactly where the original left off.
It's a good movie although derivative. Extra details about Michael Myers are revealed, clearing up the mystery
some more. John Carpenter did a great job of setting up the atmosphere in
Halloween, but sadly, his replacement decided to go with
the slash-and-blood route while borrowing some elements from the original.
All in all, Halloween II is an okay sequel that's neither bad nor boring.
3/08:
Although Halloween II is a decent sequel, there are some things I don't like.
Having Leo Rossi in the cast is the first mistake. In case if you don't know who he is, he played the jerk in
The Accused who coaxed Jodie Foster's character to ram her car into his
truck. The second mistake is letting the film be annoying by not providing any clarity to the mystery of
Michael Myers. The only bone thrown is the revelation of Laurie Strode's identity as Michael Myers' sister.
Wow, that's all? The third, which is more of a 20/20 hindsight, is Dr. Loomis dies in this yet still comes
back for future sequels. He's also tiresome for his wild-eyed talks and seems to be a certified lunatic,
especially after the way he waved his gun around in public.
As for the positives, the film is fine with plenty of suspense. I like the continuation from the
original with no serious changes. However, I'm disappointed to see how little had buzzed in Haddonfield given
the series of murders which would've roused a sleepy town into a frenzy.
One of the better scenes is when Michael Myers walked through a glass door. Yet I'm surprised he can't
manage to stop the closing door when he came to the elevator, let alone the fact that it opens automatically
when something is in the way. Also, he can't be aggressive enough in grabbing Laurie Strode when she's about
to escape through the little window in the basement? I've got to admit Michael Myers' mask looks silly.
It's like he had a blond dye job. Maybe he should take a powder break first?
All in all, Halloween II avoids being a run-of-the-mill slasher film by providing some redeeming qualities.