Disclaimer: The views expressed here are mine alone and do not represent those of allgames.com.
Introduction to the Halloween Movie Review by Ms. H
Since Halloween is only a few days away, I thought it would be a good time to see the Halloween movie starring Jamie Lee Curtis at the movie theater. A positive about the movie is it was released in time to be seen before Halloween which is October 31, 2018. However, the question is whether or not it was worth my time [or maybe yours] to see it.
Storyline of the Halloween Movie
The Halloween movie is promoted as being the sequel to the original Halloween film that was released back in 1978. Jamie Lee Curtis returns; however, this time she is taking revenge on what Michael Myers -- the masked, untalking man -- did forty years ago.
There is no need to try to follow the storyline if you watch the Halloween movie. In fact, the actual movie seems to start three-quarters into the film-- with the other scenes serving as just fluff.The Halloween movie itself seemed to be a series of scenes that were put together to come up with a movie with some gruesome shots thrown in here and there. In other words, there is no cohesiveness about the storyline.
There are also some loose ends in the Halloween movie which I will not divulge as to not spoil the movie. However, one question I have is when the child ran out of the house -- why didn’t he let his parents or someone else know what was going on or call for help. He just seemed to disappear from the movie, and no -- he was not a victim of Michael Myers.
Actors in the Halloween Movie
There were a few actors who could use some acting lessons -- mainly some of the teen characters in the movie as well as a detective who wore a cowboy hat. Their acting skills -- or lack thereof -- made Halloween look more like a B movie or a movie made for television. On a positive note, there is an actor who played the child being babysat who was the highlight of the movie. Sans his use of profane language, some of his script was rather humorous.
Prolonged Ending to the Halloween Movie
Since the timeline of the movie is current day 2018, it was surprising to me that no one used their cell phone to send an alert that they needed help when Michael Myers' appearance is eminent. Of course, the movie would have ended a lot sooner if they had simply left the house, contacted the authorities and let them handle Michael Myers.
Instead, it looked like the movie went to great lengths to show how Jamie Lee Curtis’ character had taken time to set traps around her house including a rather large one complete with welder light flares, etc. with the intent to capture and destroy Michael Myers.
Cliches in the Halloween Movie -- Like Most Horror Movies
Toward the end of the movie, there is an unexpected happening or reveal; however, the Halloween movie seemed to follow the formula for “scary” horror movies. The horror playbook calls for a girl to be running alone in the forest and hopefully she does not trip or fall. Additionally, throw in some teenagers. Have most of the action take place at night -- even though some of the hashing/slashing happened in the daylight hours. Let the protagonist be seemingly indestructible, especially after being destroyed numerous times. Make sure the characters say some profane words -- even little children -- which I disapprove of. Last but not least -- have the movie end in such a way that even with all the destruction that is seen with Michael Myers in its midst --there is a possibility that he will return.
Assessment of the Halloween Movie
I think the art-makeup department of the Halloween movie should be recognized for the gruesome shots in the film. That being said, I’ve seen movies where the images were so grotesque, I had to turn my head away from the screen -- which I did not have to do in this movie.
To put it simply, the Halloween movie was not scary, suspenseful or entertaining. If you want to see some destroyed characters and an unscary Michael Myers wearing his mask -- you may want to see the Halloween movie. However, if you want to see a highly suspenseful, really scary movie -- then I recommend you skip Halloween in the movie theaters and watch some other movie. If you must see this movie out of curiosity, etc, then I recommend you save your money and watch it when it goes to the streaming services or to DVD.
Rating of the Halloween Movie
Based on a rating of 1 star to 5 stars with 5 stars being the highest, I rate the Halloween movie 1 ½ stars.