This image released by Universal Pictures shows Jamie Lee Curtis in a scene from "Halloween." (Ryan Green/Universal Pictures via AP)
By: ALEX BOZZI
“Halloween,” is an odd movie in that it is both a reboot and a sequel to the original 1978 John Carpenter classic. Directed and written by David Gordon Green with Danny McBride as a co-writer, “Halloween” has a peculiar visionary force behind it to say the least. Don’t let this fool you though, McBride and Green did a very good job of recreating the magic that Carpenter laid out in the original films. It also helps that the original “Halloween” creators, Carpenter and Debra Hill, are also credited as writers for the project.
The story revolves around how Laurie Strode, played by Jamie Lee Curtis, has been struggling with PTSD and paranoia 40 years after the first film’s events took place. With that in mind Laurie’s daughter, and granddaughter get caught in the cross fire as Michael Myers returns to redeem himself after letting Laurie slip through his fingers the first time.
The movie feels exactly like how a “Halloween” movie should feel. It’s filled with tons of references and nods to the other films in the franchise but adds enough of a modern touch to make it new and interesting. It’s perfect for both the Michael Myers veterans and newcomers to the series alike.
Very early in the film it become clear that Green and McBride wanted to keep what made the original movie so great. Laurie’s Granddaughter, Alison, for instance is supposed to represent Laurie from the first film. That are many parallels that confirms this as well as several scenes that are very similar to the first film in which Allison is now in place of her Grandmother.
The movie has an excellent score as well as a simple yet effective cinematography. The creators of this film decided to bring back the nostalgic Michael theme song with only some minor changes. There are also some beautifully shot scenes of Michael, especially when he is first introduced.
Unfortunately, the film does have some issues. Without going into too much detail they decided to retcon certain elements of the first few films that more or fewer breaks Michael’s character and motives. But perhaps the biggest issue is that it just isn’t scary enough. The film ends up feeling more like a narrative then a horror film at some points. This is possibly due to the fact that they had to spend so much time building up the story and explaining what happened over the last 40 years.
In the end the movie was very satisfying. It was great to see a “Halloween” reboot that feels like an actual “Halloween” film. Even considering some of the negatives and missed potential, I don’t think they could have done a better job bringing Michael back to the big screen. Hopefully this will drum up more interest in the franchise so that the series doesn’t die.
