Halloween 2 Review

This is generally how I prefer sequels to be done. Halloween 2 picks up directly where the original left off, bringing back most of the original characters (those that survived) from Halloween and setting them up for a new round of terror.

Most of the action this time out takes place at the local hospital, which makes for a great place for a horror flick. One thing this movie has going against it right off the bat is that, while John Carpenter stayed on to write this sequel, he did not direct, instead handing that duty off to Rick Rosenthal.

Rosenthal is a competent director, but in the early parts of this movie there was far too much dragging and too much time spent in the POV of the killer (The Shape) instead of the main characters.

Jamie Lee Curtis wore a wig in this movie so her hair would look like it did in the original. Dick Warlock plays Michael Myers, and does one of the better jobs of any of the actor/stuntmen to play the role. He brings a great menacing presence to this film, and represents one of the few things this movie might have gotten better than the original.

Dr. Loomis, who would be a staple in all of these 80s films is once again played by the great Donald Pleasance, who could pull off this role in his sleep (which he may or may not have done later on).

As much as this movie drags in the beginning, things really pick up near the end as Dr. Loomis and Laurie Strode battle it out with Myers. Before you get to that point, there are a half dozen or so idiot teenagers to get out of the way as always.

This movie set the standard for graphic kills in slasher movies. We get people being boiled alive in a hot tub, stabbed in the eye with a pen, set on fire, etc. etc.

As a kid this was one of my favorite slasher flicks, and I was happy to see it still holds rather well as an adult.

Halloween II gets a three out of five: GOOD.