Halloween

The new Halloween dismisses all but the original 1978 movie.  It is explained that after having crawled away from the house where he nearly killed Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), Michael was arrested by a young policeman who prevented Doctor Loomis (Donald Pleasance) from finishing the job.  Since then, Michael has been in a mental institution.  Enter Aaron and Dana, a pair of Brits who have a true crime podcast.  They attempt to interview Michael but he says not a word.  He is soon to be transferred to a more prison-like facility where it will not be possible to interview him.  Next, they interview Laurie, finding her at a secure compound in the woods.  Her life has been one of paranoia and marital failure.  Her only daughter was taken from her.  She scoffs at them when they suggest she confront Michael at the institution and get him to talk.  Yes, the Brits have notions of finally rehabilitating Michael or at least getting him to explain himself.  Ha.  Of course, Michael escapes during the transfer and makes his way to Haddonfield where he recommences his murderous ways.  Laurie grabs some guns and goes hunting!  First, she checks on her estranged daughter (Judy Greer) before looking for Michael.  Like Ripley in the Aliens series or Sarah Connor in Terminator, Laurie has become a badass.  Badass grandma! 

Though it discards all the sequels prior to it, it does offer the occasional homage.  The idea of Laurie being Michael's sister is mentioned and dismissed as a rumor.  At one point, Laurie falls off a balcony and is lying on the ground but when Michael looks again, she's gone!  I was reminded of a Chuck Norris movie - Silent Rage - where an unkillable baddie was on a murder rampage but Chuck kept trying to kill him anyway.

It was awkward to have both a daughter and a granddaughter, which really watered down the character conflict between parent and child.  However, it was necessary to have teens for Michael to slaughter and Laurie is a bit old to have a teenager at this point.  As such, the daughter gets to have angry arguments with her mom and flashbacks to her childhood of being trained for combat while the granddaughter gets to run from Michael while all her classmates are sliced and diced.

 

I do miss Doctor Loomis.  The psychiatrist running around with his Colt .45 trying to kill his former patient was awesome, definitely Donald Pleasance's most defining role in my view.

 

This is a good sequel to the original.  Thumbs up.