With a title like ‘Halloween H20’ featuring a mass murderer stalking a college campus I wish I could say this movie was about Michael Myers stalking the campus of South Central Louisiana State University doing battle with Bobby Boucher (Adam Sandler) with Bobby’s mom (Kathy Bates) taking over the Donald Pleasance role of reminding us that Myers is pure evil…”That Michael Myers, is THE DEVIL, Bobby!” and Henry Winkler drawing up plays to stop the carnage.
Alas this movie is neither that, nor is it an aquatic entry to the series in anyway. It is just Halloween – twenty years later.
The entire storyline of this series past part two is ignored/ret-conned here as Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) is now a college professor residing in California, far away from Haddonfield, Illinois. Living with her is her son, played by then teen heart-throb Josh Hartnett. They go to one of those gated ivy league type colleges where even the jocks are preppy.
For the sake of not having to pay a bunch of extras, the movie comes up with an excuse for most of the campus to be absent for the majority of the movie—a trip to Yellowstone national park that only those in too much trouble have to miss out on. This trip leaves behind only a few faculty members, including security guard LL Cool J, and the aforementioned troublemakers.
Enter into this sleepy situation one Michael Myers, ready once again to slice and dice and finish off the finishing off of his next of kin. Aside from the main characters, the teenagers that get “got” here are mostly forgettable.
Jamie Lee Curtis brought a much needed screen presence back to this series. Technically, this movie is much more coherent and well-made than any entry since probably part two, or the original.
Halloween H20 gets a three out of five: SATISFYING.
Vortainment 