Disclaimer: Contains spoilers!
Plot Summary: Michael Myers is at it again...and, no, "they're" definitely NOT ready and neither was this script.
Review: Over the years I've come to the epiphany that this entry is the cause for everything going wrong with the "Halloween" series. Oh, sure, part 6 is much worse, however, it's part 5 that dropped the ball in the first place. This led to the stupidity of part 6 which, in turn, led to the first reboot with "H20," which led to further cash grabs, destroying the franchise, and allowing a dumbass like Rob Zombie to remake the franchise with the worst entries! With that said, I still find merit enough in part 5 to deem it watchable. There are good ideas here, but the execution is absolutely atrocious and the new characters are insufferable. For every interesting concept part 5 imagines there is a corresponding, stupid idea that makes you wonder what the fuck the filmmakers were thinking when rushing this film into production; and, yes, part 5 was foolishly rushed into production and it shows.
I'll start with what worked first. I'd say the best aspect is that parts 4 and 5 sync together quite well. You still have Jamie, played by my dear Danielle Harris, and Loomis obsessed with Michael. Jamie is further tormented making her that much more sympathetic, and Loomis has gone far off the deep end in his pursuit of Michael. I don't necessarily like this crazier version of Loomis, yet, it could have built toward something impressive if Loomis had to, say, eventually get arrested himself for his antics. Another thing that impressed me at the time was the inclusion of the man in black. This mysterious character following Michael around--eventually breaking Mikey out of jail--added something new and unexpected to the franchise. Unfortunately, we'd be forced to wait 6 years for an unsatisfying reveal, but that's neither here nor there. Anyway, the man in black served as a great sequel-bait concept, and that haunting ending of Jamie realizing Michael is on the loose was fantastic. Lastly, I do want to acknowledge how much of this film is carried on Danielle's shoulders; she deserves much praise for this role.
Note: since people seem to search for the answer without wanting to torture themselves with part 6...the man in black is Dr. Wynn--the guy that was talking to Loomis at Smith's Grove in the original "Halloween."
The man in black.
Where the film goes wrong? Well...it's a fucking mess! From the onset, having Michael magically escape his defeat in part 4 is weak. Then Mikey just lives with an old guy in the woods for a year? WHAAAAT?! As much as I hate the Rob Zombie entries with a burning rage, this might actually be the single most retarded moment of the entire franchise! Not only does something this stupid occur without explanation, but the movie just breezes right over it like it's nothing to think about. Uh, why didn't this guy get help? Was Michael comatose the whole time? Was he being fed and taken care of or was he supernaturally kept alive? If so, why didn't this old guy think anything was weird? Was Mikey earning his keep and doing chores around the cabin? Did the two become great friends and go on adventures?! My goodness. Worse yet, part 5 decides to completely drop the story line about Jamie becoming a killer. Argh. It's as if the filmmakers were actively trying to destroy all the ideas part 4 established.
Poor Jamie. I'd be crying too if I had to witness them ruin all the good faith created by part 4.
Man, part 5 is just sprinkled with one moronic decision after another. For example, we have Rachel killed off in like the first 20 minutes or so. People liked Rachel! And who is she replaced by? Tina...a Jar Jar-type character that the audience will be praying to see dead. Jesus Louisus. For years, I used to think of her as the worst character in the franchise until they introduced Freddie in part 8 who was then eclipsed by everyone in the Rob Zombie entries. God, I fucking hate the Rob Zombie movies! Where was I? Oh, yeah...so another nonsensical decision was to include semi-comedic relief characters with those two cops who have clown music playing. Again, whaaaaat? Then we get Mikey chasing after victim fodder for no reason when he knows where Jamie is at. Why? Is Michael after Jamie or not? The movie can't seem to decide. There is also the bizarre choice to seemingly have Loomis die yet again. That would make it two apparent deaths each for Loomis and Michael. What the hell? Good lord...this script needed like 10 more drafts to get right.
I get it, they wanted to capitalize on the success of part 4 and churn out another sequel immediately after that big, ten year hiatus. But you need to have good ideas for that to work. The best idea was having Jamie become a killer and they dropped that without explanation. I get that it might have been hard to present a sequel with a little girl killer, but why not make it so that Michael is trying to make her become him. Meaning, as long as Michael lives, he cannot pass on this curse to her completely. There could be a back and forth of both characters losing and regaining their humanity almost in a yin and yang way--things balancing out. They have Michael crying in this movie--which is stupid--but could work if we had clarity that Michael doesn't want to actually kill. Maybe create this notion that Michael wants to be free of his curse yet must fight the curse from taking Jamie in his place. It could be implied that Michael was cursed to be a soulless, unstoppable killer as a child and wasn't even the first. This could add a layer to Michael whereby he is carrying on the burden of being the killer. I don't know...I feel like you could salvage this plot line somehow. Unfortunately, that's the problem--Michael worked better without a motive and any explanation further cheapens his character.
Having these two have a connection could have worked if it actually made sense.
In the end, I have mixed feelings regarding part 5. It's not a good movie, but it could have been great with more preparation and rewrites. The complementary nature between parts 4 and 5 is nice, however, it's ultimately meaningless when part 4 set up an incredible story line that is immediately discarded. The stylistic approach to part 5 is acceptable despite the filming clearly taking place in summertime. The ending is cool, and the man in black mystery was interesting as well. Sadly, the majority of part 5 is mediocre and dragged down by sheer idiocy. I can overlook the rushed production, but it's hard to forgive the destruction of part 4's momentum. I do still watch part 5 sometimes, but it didn't come close to living up to part 4.
Notable Moment: At the end when the man in black finally shows himself and busts Michael out of jail. It's unexpected and creates a nice cliffhanger. Likewise, the ending music adds a haunting melody to the usual Halloween theme that is awesome.
Final Rating: 5/10
4 comments:
Actually, Halloween 5 REDEEMED Part 4. Part 4 is enjoyable in large part because the next film corrected its' most serious mistakes. And if the actual time of the year matters to you, Halloween 4 features shots of heavily blossomed bushes......it's clearly springtime....whereas Halloween 5 exudes NOTHING but the ambience of the harvest season.
To each their own. I do like part 5 on a lot of levels, but it's the general consensus that part 4 is the superior film for numerous reasons I've explained in my reviews. Doesn't mean that part 5 didn't do some things better--the mask, for example, is better--but part 4 is just a better all around sequel.
I just happened to notice the response, or I would have replied sooner. Taste is subjective, of course, but if you hold the original as the template-as Halloween fans generally do-then a strong case can be made for 5 as the superior film. While 4 was outstanding, it made two critical errors...First, Loomis was largely eliminated from the second half of the film. Second, they flooded the movie with all manner of extraneous characters.....all the hillbillies and state police....thus robbing it of the sense of isolation and intimacy that is crucial to the best slasher movies. (this particular mistake is what has tended to ruin so many modern slashers...the slasher motif doesn't work when you have throngs of characters running around in packs). While I love Halloween 4, there is no film where Michael Myers is depicted so close to how he was in the beginning as he is in Halloween 5. He was always a stalker, first and foremost...and 5 captures that aspect of the character more vividly than any other film in the series after the first.
I'll agree Michael is handled better in 5, but it's hard to ignore the shenanigans everywhere in part 5. The hillbillies have nothing on annoying Tina, the stupid hermit plot line, the cops with clown music, Rachel dying, retconning part 4's ending, etc. There is a lot to hate in this entry. Nevertheless, I still like 5 for what it is despite the flaws as I see them.
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