Rent Halloween (2018)

A missed opportunity - Halloween review by LC

I wanted to like this film more - the idea of a traumatised survivor fully prepared for Michael's inevitable return is a good one, but sadly it's not really explored in any great depth, with far too much time given over to the latest batch of disposable teens rather than Jamie Lee Curtis' character. The film also feels far too predictable and formulaic - rather than giving a breath of fresh-air to the franchise, this feels like any number of previous forgettable sequels. A shame. Works just about as a passable entertainment, but not a film I'll ever need to watch again.

Put this franchise to bed! - Halloween review by TH

Disappointing sequel (forgotten how many there have been)...although the first 10 minutes or so starts okay the film soon goes down hill with many questionable scenes (without trying to give too much away) how Michael Myers escapes?, how he coincidentally bumps into certain characters? (does he have a sixth sense alongside his psychopathic one)? and continues onto a very very similar rampage to 40 years ago and yes all on Halloween!...the script writing is lazy and most of the characters you don't care about other than Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie who plays the over top ex-escapee of Michael from the original and now has a house prepared for his return stocked with ammunition to take on North Korea. This slasher type of film was okay back in the day of the late 70's early 80's but now feels old hat and one question keeps calling how does Michael kill so many people including Police when he moves as quick as an asthmatic ant with a ball and chain?

Slain it all before - mild spoilers. - Halloween review by NP

We have two ‘iconic’ characters from the franchise now: Michael of course, and Laurie Strode, played by the mighty Jamie Lee Curtis: more mature now, but still very much in possession of ‘the body’ she was famed for back in the 1980s. Strode is now a self-confessed basket-case, which allows her grand-daughter plenty of opportunities to appeal to the teen-audience by dishing out life-advice for granny. “Get over it,” for example, in relation to her ongoing trauma caused by events in the original film. Another familiar face – and I realise this may be a minority thrill among this film’s fans – is that of Dr Sartain, who has been looking after Michael since Dr Loomis is now dead, like the actor who played him (we get a brief and very welcome voice-over from Donald Pleasance early on). Sartain is played by Haluk Bilginer, who was terrific – also in the 1980s – as roguish Mehmet in BBC soap EastEnders when it was at the height of its powers.

The associated teens here are as silly as you would expect. Quick witted, sexually arrogant and fashionably stoned. They don’t annoy too much, but the weightier material is reserved for two pod-casters who are eager to get inside the mind of Michael, Aaron Korey(Jefferson Hall) and Dana Haines (Rhian Rees). They don’t have much time to achieve this.

I’ve never been massively into this franchise. I found the first film enjoyable and Rob Zombie’s 2007 reboot breathed new life into a fairly standard central character. All other sequels, or reimaginings, I have found incredibly tedious. This version, after giving Michael such a build-up, chooses to begin his latest mild killing spree in curiously muted fashion. There is no sense of occasion. That Michael always happens to go on a rampage on Halloween, and that he is referred to as ‘boogie man’ has seemed to me a blatant merchandise ploy. That said, when John Carpenter’s theme music kicks in, there’s no denying its power.

I found this rather lacklustre to be honest. Once again for example, a major moment of drama occurs because one teen kisses another teen. It is difficult to care because firstly, the characters are inoffensive but vacuous, and secondly, Michael’s strolling round leisurely hacking people up (often off camera, surprisingly and disappointingly). A sadly diluted environment for this much lauded return.