Check out my updated review here! https://thevagrantrises.blogspot.com/2018/10/updated-review-18-halloween-ii-1981.html
Disclaimer: Contains spoilers!
Plot Summary: Michael Myers is still on the loose and has tracked the battered Laurie Strode to a hospital where he continues his mayhem.
Review: Three years after the massive success of the first film, and with that infamous cliffhanger, you would think they would come up with a better way to continue the story than this. This isn't necessarily a bad film, but it didn't do virtually anything different from the first film except change the setting to a hospital. This movie is mediocre in most regards and only slightly boosted by the now pivotal plot point that Laurie is actually Michael's sister. Even this revelation isn't without flaws as I can still remember as a kid thinking to myself something just doesn't make sense about Laurie not remembering any of this. Not to mention, how did Michael know how to find her?! I guess this is where things started to move into a somewhat supernatural understanding of the character. I suppose a lot of the writing mistakes can be forgiven as John Carpenter has gone on record stating many times he did not want to do a sequel and just added the sister plotl ine as a way to spice things up. Other than this, Michael isn't doing anything different and many of the same effects that were so creepy in the first are just repeated; like when Michael slowly emerges from the shadows using lighting effects. In fact, Michael mindlessly roaming around the hospital picking people off really bothered me because he has no discernible reason why he doesn't simply move in for the kill! This plot point emphasizes how padded down this film is with filler scenes; this whole deadend plot line with some kid who just happens to be wearing Michael's outfit (oh gimme a fucking break) and gets ran over feels so dumb as a weak means to keep the cops out of the main plot. Realistically this film could have been cut down to a 30 minute special tacked on to the original since it is supposed to be the same night. It's funny, we didn't even get closure on Tommy and Lindsey's story, but I suppose they would have looked so different at this point they dropped them entirely. Loomis is wasted as he is just tagging along with the police, although, he still continues to deliver some great lines. There is this weird throwaway plot point about "Samhain" and no explanation if Michael or someone else wrote it. I still can't decide whether that was filler too or they just left room for a possible sequel setup. Unfortunately, this subject would come back to haunt the franchise in the even more pitiful part six. Laurie is also wasted as she just sits in a bed, has flashbacks, or freaks out from time to time. Seriously, other than filler kills, nothing happens worth mentioning until the last 10-15 minutes or so. On the positive side, the "final" showdown with Michael is rewarding and supplies a satisfactory end to the character and resolution to Loomis' crusade. Overall, it's not that repeating what worked the first time is bad, it just feels unnecessary. This film expands the mythos and works as a bridge to the sequels better than a conclusion to one of the biggest icons in horror. It's necessary viewing for a "Halloween" fan but still worth a watch in general. Compared to some of the later sequels, this is a masterpiece.
Notable Moment: When Michael kills one of the nurses, named Joy (pokemon nurse Joy?), and he kind of just holds her aloft. The pulled back shot has this strange haunting imagery.
Final Rating: 6/10
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