So, so much to tackle. Where to start. Well the beginning is a good place. The opening to the film is fucking relentless, and I highly enjoyed it. Honestly. It's dark, grungry, even shades of TCM74-claustrophobic. Oh, and just fyi - Michael IS pissed! Fuckin' brutal. The screaming and hysterics done by Scout-Taylor Compton are a bit over-the-top, but that's probably per Zombie's orders. The opening of the film sets a great tone... and then we have the White Horse and Deborah & Young Michael ghosts... and then it starts to show where Zombie fucked it up. The whole White Horse element comes completely out of left field, and leaves you wanting to at least know more as to what's going on with that. The movie then takes a pretty interesting, and entertaining route, after Laurie wakes up screaming. Obviously she's living with a more agoraphobic Annie and Sheriff Brackett. Laurie still seems to be Laurie, and everything SEEMS to be starting to coast and tell the story. Then we see Loomis - fuck that. This ISN'T Loomis. PERIOD. This isn't even the same character that Malcolm McDowell portrayed in H1-2007. McDowell throughout the film even comes across as confused as to how to play the character, and it gets more obvious at the film goes on. Immediately, Brackett (Brad Dourif) seems to have more Donald Pleasence-isms in becoming the protector/Van Helsing type of character for the film. You find yourself slowly liking Brackett & Annie much more in H2, than you did in H1. The film then continues to flutter. Michael Myers is GREAT. Let me just say that. Totally dug it. It was different, it was a different approach, and I liked it. Myers in a hoodie, face shadowed, and living and being treated like a hobo entertained me, especially when the tables turned. What never got cranked up, was the character story. We're introduced to Laurie and her therapist, and beyond ONE SCENE, especially with a girl as fucked up as Laurie - we never approach it ever again, which could've been interesting, IF it was a gradual progession of exposing her dreams, a little more, and a little more, kind of like H2-81, it would've worked better.
Like with the character problem, the other problem is, we're introduced to all of these new characters, mainly Laurie's two new friends, and we never really know who they are, why they are there, and why we should care. So when they are dispatched, pretty quickly after making their appearence, it's like "oh, they got killed?"
I would go into the Loomis stuff, but what's the point? Why would you even let that character LIVE, to bring him back, just to do that to him. I didn't get it at all, and every scene with a self-absorbed Loomis, was a total bore to me, including Lynda's father's assassination attempt, the talk show appearence with Weird fuckin Al ( huh? ), as well as his attempts at heroism at the end, were pretty flat. Loomis goes in there, and gets dispatched pretty quickly, although he died in a bit more heroic fashion than is being reported. He at least allowed them to get some shots off on Michael, and get Laurie out of there.
The end, was another - wtf? You have no clue what's going, other than Zombie alluding to Laurie being the new "psycho Myers". Although Laurie's Theme and the Halloween theme were nice touches to set the tone. Looking back on this film, I know why now, that those familiar cues were missing... they would've been totally out of place.
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So in hind sight, here's what it gets right. Sets a different, brutal, claustrophobic tone. Liked it. Because it focuses on tone, less aspect is on Zombie's shitty white trash vulgar writing, which is more glaring in H1-2007, and not so much here. Liked it. Grungy, dirty look for the film. Liked it. Michael Myers is a fucking bad ass. Liked it. Brad Dourif is a good lead. Liked Brackett.
Here's where it got everything wrong, in a bit more detail than above.
White Horse - what in the fuck was this? This was the "Man In Black" moment of Halloween 5 for Zombie. Adding in a totally stupid, nonsensical subplot, for no reason, other than to have Sheri Moon make a paycheck. Beyond that, it was fucking pointless. I've been there and done it, the whole "telekinetic bond" thing. We saw in Halloween 5, and like I said, White Horse is no different than MIB. So why on God's green earth, would Zombie want to create stylings of one of the WORST Halloween's ever made? Mistake.
Laurie - the character was drove into the fucking ground. Laurie initially started off with some mannerisms much like her character from the previous film, just a little darker, and more disturbed. Good move. Fuck up? "I'm Michael Myers SISTER!!! Let's fuckin' party, whooooooo!!!" Totally out of left field, and totally out of character, for Zombie to insert a gratuitous, and unnecessary party scene. The whole shit with Laurie walking out of the barn, with the Mask on was like... what? What was the fuckin' point? To give Brackett a heart attack? To get yourself shot? Made NO SENSE. Mistake.
Loomis - it amazes me with Zombie. For a man, that prides himself, and has called him, such a Halloween fan, a Donald Pleasence fan, a Loomis fan for years... that he would be so eager, to take a big, giant 96-oz. beef steak by-product SHIT on the forehead of the Loomis character? The only thing I can assume, is that Pleasence's Loomis is so legendary in Zombie's mind, that the last thing he wants to do is recreate Pleasence role, out of respect for his memory. We'll, I put up with it, with a half-hearted Loomis in H1-2007. Not this time. Rob, you personally took a huge dump on the grave of Donald Pleasence, by bastardizing his character - HIS character. Not yours, not Malcolm's, not John Carpenter's - HIS. So congrats, give yourself a hand. THIS IS NOT DR. SAM LOOMIS. I hope in H3-3D that they completely revive a new Loomis, in the old styling, with a different actor, and without you.
Annie - like Loomis, why was this character kept alive? Poor Annie, she survived the first film, just long enough to get killed again. Annie was one of the more interesting aspects of this film. The agoraphobic Annie was very intriguing. Where Zombie failed? Her ball busting constantly. It worked in H1-2007, because her confidence level and opinion of herself was so high. That should've been CRUSHED after her vunerable position Michael put her in in H1. Nearly killed, half naked, while trying to have sex... pretty much a confidence booster isn't it? No. Annie should've been much more reserved, quiet, and paranoid, and also should've been wrote to spring into action when Michael returned. The character was uneven all over. Annie doesn't get out of the house much, but has enough time to go harass a cop her dad works with, just for fun. Doesn't work. Mistake.
And just about every other character is underdeveloped too, except for Mikey.
Party - wtf was up with the honkeytonk band at that party? So cornball. I was waiting for a montage, with them, at the end of the movie.
