Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers

Starring: Donald Pleasence, Paul Rudd, Marianne Hagan, Mitch Ryan, Kim Darby
Directed by: Joe Chappelle
Rating: R
Genre: Horror, Thriller
1995

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Michael Myers has been missing for years, and Haddonfield has tried to move on from the earlier massacres. Just when people are finally feeling safe again, Michael returns to hunt down more family members.

Review:

Tim: Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers is generally regarded as one of the worst films in the franchise. While I agree that it is a flawed, silly mess; I don't think I hated it as much as many people. In fact, I loved the look and feel of the film. It really brought the franchise into the 90s, and I thought the movie did a good job of creating a very tense, creepy atmosphere. The problem with this movie is fully on the script. It doesn't make much sense, and seems to take the franchise is a very different direction. This hurts the movie tremendously.

The script attempts to reveal more of why Michael Myers does what he does. We get this ridiculous "Thorn" cult that never really makes any sense. The whole thing is so over-the-top and absurd that it doesn't register on an intellectual level. It's too easily dismissable because of the far-fetched quality of it. I don't think we really needed to know why Michael was so evil- we just needed to sit back and watch him do his thing. Explaining the reasons behind him actually hurt his overall appeal. I suppose this could have worked- backstory isn't necessarily a bad thing- but how it was delivered just seemed so weak and stupid. I still don't think I fully understand everything that was going on, and to be honest, I'm not sure I care enough to find out.

I also was disappointed in the revelation of The Man in Black. I thought it was a bit silly how he was set up in the previous movie, but never explained or revealed. Six years later we find out his story, and it's quite frankly, underwhelming. I wanted something cooler than what we got.

I have to give credit to Donald Pleasance for coming back for a fifth (and sadly, final) turn as Dr. Sam Loomis. He's very old at this point, and it shows. He sadly died shortly before the film was released, making this his final performance. I really like Pleasance, and I love that he was willing to make five of these movies. This film also features the second (first filmed) feature film performance for Paul Rudd. Rudd is very creepy and unfortunately, a bit too over-the-top, but his presence was welcome. The rest of the cast is made up of unknowns and they are pretty boring and forgettable.

From what I've read, it seems like the director and the studio meddled quite a bit with the script. I hate when that happens, and I wonder why people are so stupid. It seems like the original script might have been something special- it would certainly have been better than this mess that we were left with. That makes me sad, because I recognize some very good moments in this film. However, the movie as a whole is a choppy, confusing mistake. I lament that, because I really think with some clear direction and left to make the movie this should have been, Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers might have been a franchise turnaround. Instead, we're left with another disappointing entry in a franchise needing a hit.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 6



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Halloween, Halloween II, Halloween III: Season of the Witch, Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers, Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers, Scream 1-3, Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street