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 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 out 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 has buzzed in Haddonfield given
the series of murders which will have 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 they automatically open when something is in the way.
Also, he can't be aggressive enough when grabbing Laurie Strode when she's about to escape through the little window
in the basement? I've got to admit, the mask on Michael Myers 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.