Check out my updated review here! https://thevagrantrises.blogspot.com/2018/10/updated-review-21-halloween-5-revenge.html
Disclaimer: Contains spoilers!
Plot Summary: Michael is back again as he continues his attempt to kill his young niece while a mysterious man in black lurks in the background.
Review: I am well aware many people despise this entry in the franchise, but I thought it had some good ideas executed poorly. This film had four major weaknesses that severely hurt its chances of being a hit: a Jar Jar-esque character in the form of Tina, changing the direction of the ending to part four, stupid and senseless choices, and basically repeating the same formula of part four. Like the first two "Halloween" films, part four and five are closely connected which is a big reason why I like it; I love continuity and especially when it flows. It is the following Halloween after part four and Michael has been recuperating since his previous pummeling. This film opens during the events of the graveyard scene in part four and shows that when Michael fell in the grave there was actually an opening that led out to a stream which allowed Michael to survive (forget the hundred bullet wounds). He finds his way to some random hermit living in the woods who generously takes care of him for a year only for Michael to repay him with death! Okay, this is just so stupid! I mean, was this the best thing they could think up to keep Michael occupied with for a year? Or here's a better idea, how about they pick up where part four actually ended with Jamie now possessed by whatever was making Michael kill?! I know Michael is essentially the selling point, but come on, they could have done it so much better. Michael's mask has been altered yet again with no real explanation as well. As for Jamie, they imply that her stabbing her foster mother was just an isolated incident...somehow. I still must give credit to Danielle Harris as she is just a little girl and she is basically leading this entire cast and film; it's also quite sad that she is a better actor than most of the cast. This film emphasizes that Jamie and Michael have a telepathic link that allows the other to somewhat see and feel what the other does. It is extremely vague and feels heavily contrived, but at least they did try to pick up with what part four was suggesting. Plus, I feel the Jamie character is the most sympathetic in this franchise since she is just a little girl who lost her parents, has been nearly killed by her uncle for no reason, and now has a weird power and is being stalked again. Loomis is back and even more crazy here as he doesn't really trust Jamie and the audience really feels the obsession getting to Loomis. But again, I need some Loomis in my life to make the franchise more complete. It's so funny because by the end of the film Loomis has gone completely off the deep end as he uses Jamie as bait to capture Michael and seemingly dies yet again. This franchise resurrects Loomis almost as much as it does Michael! Rachel, who was a pivotal character in part four, is killed off way too early, the foster family seems to be dropped entirely, and all the supporting cast are replaced by the ridiculously idiotic friends of Rachel. This gang of goof balls includes two cops who get their own cheesy sound effects (why the fuck?!), two horny losers (the girl is kind of hot), a total douchebag conveniently named Michael (who thankfully dies early), and their beloved leader, Tina. Suffice it to say I hate Tina; she can't act, sounds annoying, and her part could have easily been, and should have been, Rachel's role. The only somewhat decent character is some kid who has a crush on Jamie. Rounding out this cast of misfits is the mysterious man in black. We never see his face and he just lurks in the background of certain scenes and he seems to be following Michael. He has a weird tattoo on his wrist and the symbol is seen in various shots if you have a good eye. Unfortunately, we never find out what the hell is going on with this guy since the only thing he does is bust Michael out of jail at the end of the film. We do finally get an answer as to who he is in part six, but I try my best to forget that one even exists. As I mentioned earlier, this film just follows part four's formula with Michael mindlessly killing fodder with many padded scenes. It is enjoyable somewhat, but the highlight is when Jamie, Loomis, and the police set a trap for Michael to lure him out at Michael's childhood home. This sequence is cool and there are some close calls for Jamie. As I mentioned earlier also, Loomis goes bananas here which is interesting to see the lengths he'll go to get Michael. To the great disservice of fans, we see a brief shot of Michael unmasked as Jamie makes a connection with him and he's fucking crying! Oh come on! Plus where the hell are his burn scars? Grr! Damn continuity errors! I assume they wanted to continue this plot line about him being cursed, but if it's going to be so vague you can't pull shit like this until it is clarified. Finally, Michael is put in jail as I keep saying (which is stupid in itself), and he is broken out; the final shot, which is a nice one, shows Jamie standing in front of the cell crying and in disbelief as she delivers a chilling and echoing "No" as the film closes. Once again, the ending is the best part of the whole film! I do like this version of the "Halloween" theme music and there is an extra haunting melody to the end of the theme I really love. Eh, I don't know about this one. I do like this movie because of Ms. Harris and Mr. Pleasence and because of the flow in my head of part 1, 2, 4, and 5 as an incomplete canon. I would say check this entry out especially if you liked part four, but don't expect much at all.
Notable Moment: At the end when we discover Michael has been freed from jail and we are left wondering who was the man in black and what he wants.
Final Rating: 5/10
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