Review of Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989) by Jose M — 19 Nov 2010

Live well. It is the greatest revenge.

-Talmud.

Halloween 5: the Revenge of Michael Myers, or is it?

A funny thing happened when I went to review this movie at my house. I got the flick as a double pack with Halloween 4: the Return of Michael Myers and watched it on separate nights. I liked Halloween 4 and gave it a good review, and I was dissatisfied with Halloween 5 because there was no suspense in it. I wrote a review and when I was done, my sister accidentally turned off the computer with her feet. In a way, Michael Myers got revenge. Now, the review I had written was well written and had a lot of analysis between both flicks and other Halloween films I have seen. Some of them have not been written yet. Anyways, when the computer turned off, it was like a slap, no a stab to the face by Michael Myers. I guess my question about the movieâ(TM)s title has come to play when I ask what Michaelâ(TM)s revenge is and donâ(TM)t say murder came to me at irony of a computer shutting down.

Halloween 5 was made in a quick rush, for I didnâ(TM)t saw the documentary, but felt it as I saw the flick. There are number of scenes that happen that could have been shot or acted better along with the script and dialogue. I blame the rushed scenes as source of the filmâ(TM)s downfall in suspense. There are a lot of action scenes that are a good idea and look good on paper, but when I saw those scenes I couldnâ(TM)t feel the suspense. Watching the documentary, executive producer Moustapha Akkad has said that Halloween 5 was started after the success of Halloween 4.

The Disappointment from Michael Myers.

Halloween 5 opens up with credits rolling while stabbing sounds are heard through the background. As the credits finish its roll, we see that the stabbings are nothing more than an exercise of Jack O Lanterns. Pause, I present you the word false alarm in movies.

False alarms happen when danger seems imminent to a character or group, but it turns out it was something harmless (like an animal running away). These scenes are made so the audience and characters in the film can relax and suddenly a killer strike behind in order to scare the audience.

Anyways, throughout Halloween 5, I spotted a number of false alarms that go nowhere and fail to be or add suspense. I found it annoying as the film goes on with false alarms after another. Heck, it even uses scenes from Halloween 4 to fill in the space. However, writers and director wanted to bring us into the flick from right where it left off ending of Halloween 4. I wonâ(TM)t say much though because Halloween 4 was moderately good especially since they didnâ(TM)t bring us to what happened in the previous film.

After the film ends, state police use several dynamites to blow whatever is left of Michael Myers, but as they do, Michael barely escapes. He stumbles his way into a river and slums into a shack where he tries to kill an old man in there, but collapses. The old man takes care of him until a year passes by and Michael awakes from his comatose sleep and kill. From there, I was dissatisfied because of Michaelâ(TM)s actions, and not because he kills the old man, but for the fact that he awoke since the script required him. Itâ(TM)s pretty much like that because as I saw the flick I kept wondering if all the actions were made due to the characters being under the command of the script. For example, a lot of characters do a lot dumb things rather than having it in their personality, for they make one bad move that has them kill. The only person who escapes this is Donald Pleasence as Dr. Loomis. Other than him, most of the characters are weakened and canâ(TM)t be taken seriously except for Jamie and Michael. Also, whatâ(TM)s worst is the fact that the film could have been interesting especially since the trailer for the flick is interesting. Anyways, Michael sleeps every year after Halloween ends rather than explore or have something interesting done with him. At least in Halloween II, we saw Michael Myersâ(TM)s life as he walked around as a vagabond feeding on peopleâ(TM)s growing crops while terrorizing local strip clubs until manifesting into a monster on Halloween lead by visions.

After that, the mask goes back to Michael Myers head and walks out ready to terrorize the city of Haddonfield. It is there that someone saw him not through eye, but through the mind of a child. Thatâ(TM)s right; Jamie Lloyd (Danielle Harris) has a telepathic link with Michael Myers. Even though terror and chaos seems imminent for Michael lives and this time theyâ(TM)re ready, Halloween 5 fumbles a lot. By that tag line, Iâ(TM)m guessing the folks at Haddonfield have adopted some sort of Michael Myers emergency support program that centers on how to deal when Michael Myers returns. Right, wrong, in the film, a number of teens are murder due to their self centered arrogance. As the film continues, we see that the police are ready and have plan to stop Michael, but just as the film builds up and the cops plans, a man in black arrives and ruins the flick. Yellow card, the idea of adding him in this flick doesnâ(TM)t bring anything to the table and is unnecessary. We already know he is bad because we donâ(TM)t see his face at all, or he could be a good guy. Ah, you never know. Anyways, the film rushes to night time and we see Michael stalking his teens, but it around here when the cops put their Michael Myers Emergency Support Plan to work. Their reaction is quick, but the script intervenes and commands bad actions that ruin the momentum it makes, but it is Dr. Loomis that adds suspense to the film as Pleasence makes him into a darker villainous character. Throughout the entire time, he tries to get info on Michael by screaming and yelling at the poor little girl as Jamie tries to scream for help. Sure, it might seem cheap and mean to put a child in danger, but it worked for this disastrous film. I applauded as the film had a climax once itâ(TM)s just Loomis, Michael, and Jamie. That was the best scene of the film.

Halloween 5: the Revenge of Michael Myers is a disappointment because one wonders what his revenge is, but itâ(TM)s never explained or shown. Sure he kills, but thatâ(TM)s what a slasher does, kill. He never does anything out of ordinary that would be revenge. What is Michaelâ(TM)s idea of revenge? Better yet, what are the filmâ(TM)s producers, executive producers, writers, and directorâ(TM)s idea of Michaelâ(TM)s revenge? Is it his anger? Well, there is talk about him being an angry man and wanting to express it, but it is never shown throughout the film until he confronts Jamie and Dr. Loomis in two separate scenes. Like I said there was not a lot of anger throughout the film that could be signify or symbolize Michaelâ(TM)s revenge. As noted, I must point out that at least in Halloween II we saw Michaelâ(TM)s anger as he expressed in a cruel and violent way (multiple stabbings to dead victim). Anyways in here, he walks around doing nothing until he stabs a victim and moves on. Also, I had a problem with the filmâ(TM)s title and tagline along with the fact that most of the actions and lines are done under the command of the script and the fact I can see it. You there, man in black, show up right now and donâ(TM)t show your face, Ha-ha! Anyways, as Halloween 5 ends, I was disappointed and unsurprised and thought **ck me running!

Anyways, the only thing improvement there is from its stronger predecessor is the image because it doesnâ(TM)t look weird and cheap like it did in Halloween 4: the Return of Michael Myers, and the only thing it brings to the franchise is dead cops, villainous performance from Pleasence along with the interactions between him, Harris, and Myers.

As for revenge, I guess Michaelâ(TM)s revenge is the fact that he lives.

Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers.

Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers.

Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers will fix review.

H2: Halloween II.