Movie Info
Movie Name: Halloween
Studio: The Weinstein Company
Genre(s): Horror
Release Date(s): August 31, 2007
MPAA Rating: R
Michael…I feel for you. I want to kill your family too.
Michael Myers (Daeg Faerch) has a family he hates. His mother’s boyfriend (William Forsythe) is abusive and his sister (Hanna R. Hall) is promiscuous and hates him…Michael’s only hope is his mother (Sheri Moon Zombie) and baby sister. When Michael snaps, his bullies, his stepfather, his sister, and her boyfriend pay the price. Institutionalized with Dr. Samuel Loomis (Malcolm McDowell) studying him, Michael grows up. When he gets his chance, Michael (Tyler Mane) breaks free. Now, he’s headed back to Haddenfield to find the sister he lost. Laurie Strode (Scout Taylor-Compton) has grown up ignorant of her past…now a Halloween night babysitting might become the scariest night of her life.
Directed by Rob Zombie, Halloween is a remake the John Carpenter 1978 slasher horror classic. The film was relatively well received by critics and fans and performed well at the box office.
I am on the side of those who felt 1) Halloween didn’t need a remake and 2) This was an inferior to the original though I did like some of the stuff Zombie did. The story focused more on Michael and his time in the institution. Malcolm McDowell gets to be crazy and eccentric with some of the worst young person make-up. The switch allows Michael to be more of a character instead of just “The Shape” as he was sometimes referred to in early Halloween films.
The Shape is back…and he’s bigger.
This is alright, but Laurie Strode was always a likeable character, and she isn’t introduced until long into the movie. This set-up leaves the viewer torn between Michael and Laurie when Laurie should be the one you are rooting for. Laurie remains undeveloped and the portion with her and her friends being killed is too short (with a drawn out ending with Michael). It feels really unbalanced.
The movie also has lots of appearances by other horror greats. Ken Foree (of Dawn of the Dead fame) is a truck driver. A carryover from the original Halloween films is Danielle Harris (the former Jamie Lloyd in Halloween 4 and Halloween 5) plays Annie Brackett. Danny Trejo plays an unfortunate guard while Dee Wallace steps in as Laurie’s mother. Monkees star Micky Dolenz is a gun vendor, and the man behind Chucky’s voice Brad Dourif plays Sheriff Brackett. Zombie’s stand-in players like his wife Sheri Moon Zombie and Sig Haig also make appearances.
Don’t worry Laurie…if Michael doesn’t get you now, there is time for a sequel
Tyler Mane is a great choice for Michael. He is big, hulking, and powerful. He has the strength needed for the character, but for a big guy he also has some agility. This is helpful for some of the more aggressive attacks for Michael, but this movie also calls for a more “acting” Michael. The script and Mane don’t necessarily allow the real depth of Michael to be explored (though the young Michael is thoroughly creepy).
This leads to the biggest problem with Halloween’s remake. Zombie gives Michael motive. I wanted to kill everyone in Michael’s family within five minutes of the introduction. They are just obnoxious, gross, and such bad white-trash stereotypes that when they are killed, it is a relief. I liked that in the first movie, Michael had no motivation. He came from a good family and just breaks. That is scary…Zombie tries too hard to make Michael a victim of his world.
Halloween is a tolerable, but unnecessary remake. The movie isn’t scary enough or horrific enough to really justify it. Rob Zombie’s approach to films goes for classic ’80s slasher, but just misses something. If you are going to watch Halloween just stick to the original. Halloween was followed by Halloween II in 2009.
Related Links:
Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988)
Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989)
Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995)
Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998)
