For a movie that purports to be a direct sequel to the original Halloween (1978), Halloween (2018) fundamentally misunderstands the character of Michael Myers from the first film. In 1978, Michael Myers only killed a few victims (something that's actually referenced in this movie). He fixated on Laurie and spent most of the movie stalking her and her friends Annie and Linda (and Linda's boyfriend, Bob). He took his time, laid out his plan, and then lured Laurie into his trap, which was intended to terrorize her. He might have planned to kill her when he was done, but his primary goal was fear, not murder.
Forty years later, though, this guy is a straight up killing machine! No more peeping tom, no more cat and mouse, just murder and mayhem. Look at how his killing spree on Halloween night begins: two murders with no buildup, no suspense. Just kill, kill. If this were a true direct sequel to 1978, he would spend half the movie stalking these victims, building the suspense as he toyed with them.
The closest we get to old-school Michael are the deaths of Oscar and Vicky, but they're over so quickly that there's hardly any buildup to them at all. They're good but could have been so much better.
Instead of Vicky--a random character we hardly know--the babysitter in peril should have been Laurie's granddaughter, Allyson. And rather than getting sliced up in thirty seconds, she should have been the focus of the whole second and/or third act of the film, fending off Michael.
As much as the filmmakers fumbled Michael Myers, I do like the direction they took with Laurie Strode, turning her into Sarah Connor from The Terminator franchise. Now Laurie is a gun-wielding survivalist who's been dreaming of and planning for this day the way Michael had dreamt and planned his Halloween 1978 horror show. She is struggling with trauma, personal regrets, a life spent in fear and a hunger for vengeance. It's cool to see Jamie Lee Curtis have so much to work with in this movie, unlike the sequels to come. She clearly loves this character and role and puts 100% into her performance.
It was a brilliant idea to bring back John Carpenter for the soundtrack. Having his name attached to the project definitely gives it an air of legitimacy missing from all those other sequels. What's more, the music is awesome! It revisits the themes from the first movie but takes them in new directions. This not a simple rehash of Halloween's greatest hits. It's fresh and exciting and complements the action on screen well.
The best thing about this film, however, is that it got rid of that terrible, utterly misguided decision to make Michael and Laurie siblings. We are finally back to the original premise of Michael Myers fixating on a random stranger... well, almost. He doesn't really fixate on anyone in this movie, he just kills whoever happens to be in front of him. It's like he's developed homicidal ADHD over the past forty years. But whatever, I'll take it.
Forty years later, though, this guy is a straight up killing machine! No more peeping tom, no more cat and mouse, just murder and mayhem. Look at how his killing spree on Halloween night begins: two murders with no buildup, no suspense. Just kill, kill. If this were a true direct sequel to 1978, he would spend half the movie stalking these victims, building the suspense as he toyed with them.
The closest we get to old-school Michael are the deaths of Oscar and Vicky, but they're over so quickly that there's hardly any buildup to them at all. They're good but could have been so much better.
Instead of Vicky--a random character we hardly know--the babysitter in peril should have been Laurie's granddaughter, Allyson. And rather than getting sliced up in thirty seconds, she should have been the focus of the whole second and/or third act of the film, fending off Michael.
As much as the filmmakers fumbled Michael Myers, I do like the direction they took with Laurie Strode, turning her into Sarah Connor from The Terminator franchise. Now Laurie is a gun-wielding survivalist who's been dreaming of and planning for this day the way Michael had dreamt and planned his Halloween 1978 horror show. She is struggling with trauma, personal regrets, a life spent in fear and a hunger for vengeance. It's cool to see Jamie Lee Curtis have so much to work with in this movie, unlike the sequels to come. She clearly loves this character and role and puts 100% into her performance.
It was a brilliant idea to bring back John Carpenter for the soundtrack. Having his name attached to the project definitely gives it an air of legitimacy missing from all those other sequels. What's more, the music is awesome! It revisits the themes from the first movie but takes them in new directions. This not a simple rehash of Halloween's greatest hits. It's fresh and exciting and complements the action on screen well.
The best thing about this film, however, is that it got rid of that terrible, utterly misguided decision to make Michael and Laurie siblings. We are finally back to the original premise of Michael Myers fixating on a random stranger... well, almost. He doesn't really fixate on anyone in this movie, he just kills whoever happens to be in front of him. It's like he's developed homicidal ADHD over the past forty years. But whatever, I'll take it.