Review of Halloween II (1981) by Steven L — 25 Aug 2009

An effective sequel that works for the series. It blends between being like the original and being a Friday the 13th sequel. It didn't take very long for them to hop on the bandwagon as the sequel is a lot more bloody.

The story picks up directly from where the first one ended. Laurie is taken to the hospital, Dr. Loomis is even more on the hunt and Michael makes his way through town slaughtering just about everybody.

For me, the first half of the movie is the weakest. The random killing in Part 1 felt scarier because it was a couple of people he went after. In this entry, you know he's still after Laurie so the killing that happens in between the beginning and the moment he finds her seems a little bit pointless.

It's not boring, though. It helps that the hospital scenes are especially creepy (so empty lookng). The dialogue is amusing enough and once Michael finds Laurie, the suspense is back to full fledge.

The story also sports a twist that actually works on its side. It elevates the storyline from just "more killing in Haddonfield". Jamie Lee Curtis plays drugged, terrified and sleepy. She does good on all fronts.

Donald Pleasence gets a bit more to do and you see Loomis' determination coming through more here. The nurses/paramedics are all fairly good in their roles. Rick Rosenthal goes from mimicking some Carpenter scenes to his own thang.

It's when he's given a chance for suspense that he shines through. Any chase scene is extremely intense and he gives the whole picture a bleaker sense than the original. Add to all this another cool take on the score, some nods to older horror movies and Dick Warlock as Michael Myers (I find him the creepiest Michael yet) and you get a good sequel.

Take the time to watch it if you enjoyed the first one.