Halloween II slasher review

Written by Josh Brewer, October 14, 2016, at 5:45 p.m. 

Title: Halloween II
Director: Rick Rosenthal
Writer(s): John Carpenter, Debra Hill
Release Date: October 30, 1981
Cast: Jamie Lee Curtis, Donald Pleasence, Charles Cyphers, Lance Guest, Pamela Susan Shoop, Dick Warlock

Halloween II Cliff’s Notes

Picking up right where the last film left off, Laurie Strode is on her way to the hospital for a little well-earned recovery time. However, Michael is still on the loose and be-lines for her after spending half of the movie just kinda walking around. Loomis follows.

Lecture

How do you follow up one of the best horror flicks of all time? Well, by following the folks that are left and selling out, according to Halloween II. All of the previous elements are here: Laurie, Loomis, violence, Michael, sex, and a great score. Alas, here it doesn’t land quite as well. The film is really uneven, spending tons of time with Michael as he recovers from his wounds and gets going for round two. Loomis wastes four hours looking in the wrong direction and only manages to impact the ending. Laurie is back, but spends so much of the flick injured, it’s hard for her to maintain her impact on the story. The entire thing feels stretched out and unpolished.

It doesn’t help that there was all kinds of turmoil in getting the flick out, with Carpenter doing reshoots to add to the flick. Usually, I lothe this idea, but Rosenthal’s other work is so spotty, right here, that I can see why it would happen. It doesn’t do much to help the pacing and plot of the flick- apparently no one knows what a phone is in the entire town- or get around a slew of inconsistencies- I have never in my life seen a hospital this empty- but it certainly makes the last act pretty stellar.  

And that’s when the film really rocks out. Once Michael is in the hospital and we’re back in the chase of the thing, Halloween II really picks up. Tension drips from the white walls and the kills, toned up thanks to Carpenter, really help to define Michael more clearly. Add to that a pair of fine performances from Curtis and Pleasence and you’ve got yourself one heck of a slasher flick.

Acting

Curtis has always rocked Laurie Strode, and this is not exception. She’s vulnerable but still strong, vibrant and realistic. Cyphers, Guest, and Shoop do well with what they’re given, though the script has a tendency to lose them for a little bit. Warlock is, by far, my favorite Michael. His movements and demeanor are top-notch and the guy is all kinds of scare. But the highlight is Pleasence, who takes his neurotic Loomis and brings him to a brand new level. You can feel the pressure building up on the good doctor and watch how it affects his psyche. Amazing work!

Directing

This one is a little tricky, cause Carpenter did the reshoots. Rosenthal’s work lacks pace and clarity, especially compared to Carpenter’s. He does manage to get some nice work out of his actors, but it’s really Carpenter’s work that holds the flick together. Rosenthal is derivative at best.  

Script

Meh. This puppy depends on characters not knowing information, which is a lazy way to go. Add to that the lackluster new characters and tendency to lose the leads for a period of time and the result shuffles along without being that interesting. At least they’re giving Loomis something to do.

Effects

Halloween II boasts more blood than the original, which is a-OK in my book. Stabbings, drownings, and a few nasty gunshots set us up while a pair of fire effects knock us down.

Highlights

The hospital chase. I swear, before my re-watching of Halloween II, I was sure this was the largest part of the flick. It’s the only thing that has stuck with me through all of the years.

Lowlights

Where are the people in this hospital? The entire place has more nurses that adult patients. Took me out of the flick more than once.

Halloween-iness

Pretty darn Halloween-y. Halloween II manages all of the elements of the franchise – Laurie, Loomis, Michael, tone, and the violence – and gives them to us in spades. The most Halloween-y of the sequels.

Final Thoughts  

Lesser than the original, but saved by Carpenter and some fine performances, Halloween II diminishes the effect by half, but still proves itself as one of the best in the series.

Grade: B