'Halloween II' review

Tyler Mane (Credit: Marsha LaMarca/Dimension)

The making of 'Halloween II'

Rob Zombie talks reviving Michael Myers, one more time

This sequel to Rob Zombie’s 2007 “Halloween” remake picks up right where its predecessor left off: Laurie Strode (Scout Taylor-Compton) has survived the Halloween rampage of Michael Myers (Tyler Mane) but Myers’ body was never recovered. A year later, Laurie struggles with nightmares and twisted visions as Myers seeks her out for an unhappy reunion.

The buzz: Zombie’s reimagining gave Myers a more extensive backstory and increased the brutality of the psychopath’s killing spree, sparking skepticism among some franchise purists and revulsion from horror lightweights. But there was a method to the director’s madness—the movie was a gritty and disturbing change of pace from the genre norm. Now that Zombie is free of the original film’s slasher-template plotting, will he be able to further his own unique vision for the series?

The verdict: There’s something honest about Zombie’s unflinching portrayal of violence—death is never “fun” in his films, it’s messy and ugly. So why does the endless slaughter of “Halloween II” feel by the numbers? It’s clear that Zombie’s heart is with Laurie’s psychological journey, and he has a game collaborator in Taylor-Compton. But slasher conventions keep getting in the way of any chance for an effective portrait of a young woman’s descent into madness. As Myers stalks his way back to his Haddonfield hometown he’s gotta keep killing, because, well, that’s what he does. No one, not even a dog, is safe. Fever dream sequences featuring Michael’s dead mother (Zombie’s wife, Sheri Moon Zombie reprises her “Halloween” role to diminishing returns) verge on camp, as do the “Lord of the Rings”-esque shots of Myers plodding across wide-open fields. A nearly self-contained storyline with Malcolm McDowell’s egomaniacal Dr. Loomis provides some welcome comedic moments, and further evidence that Zombie was interested in more than just a quick cash-in sequel. But “Halloween II” can’t quite convince that a follow-up was necessary.

Did you know? Actor Daeg Faerch, who played young Michael in the previous “Halloween,” was asked to reprise the part for the sequel but he’d literally outgrown the role: he was too big to convincingly play a kid and a different actor was cast.

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