Halloween Kills (2021)

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Halloween Reviews

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We continue our modernized take on the 'Halloween' series here, ultimately deleting 'Halloween II' to 'Halloween: Resurrection' from existence, as though the last few decades never happened. And while I liked where this one's predecessor went with things, 'Halloween Kills' marks yet another beginning of the end for what could have been something so much more promising if things had only been written better. It's just my opinion, but poor Michael Myers can't seem to find an all-around good timeline to exist in.

Things kick off here kind of promising with a flashback to the events of Halloween, 1978, showing us a bit of a side-story that apparently took place that no one has yet seen. It involves a couple of cops called to the scene after Michael (Airon Armstrong, Nick Castle, James Jude Courtney) manages to escape at the end of the original film. As Deputy Frank Hawkins (Thomas Mann, Will Patton) and his partner Pete McCabe (Jim Cummings) patrol the rural streets of Haddonfield, they eventually find themselves at the Myers' house, where an encounter with Myers leads to an unfortunate accident, becoming what seems to be B-story to this, involving Hawkins and a desire for revenge on Michael.

Some of these flashback bits do an interesting job of answering some "whatever happened to" questions involving certain characters from the '78 movie, namely the kid named Lonnie (Tristian Eggerling/Robert Longstreet), who was dared to knock on the Myers' house door but was ultimately scared off by Loomis (Tom Jones Jr./Colin Mahan). It's a bit more of a nod to one of several returning characters, all grown up than anything else, but I appreciate the approach the film took to tie things together just a little bit more. It's mostly used to give Hawkins a bit more of a backstory, but it's still neat to go back in time.

In the present day, we go to a local Haddonfield bar, where we meet a grown-up Tommy Doyle (Anthony Michael Hall) accompanied by his childhood friend, Lindsey Wallace (Kyle Richards, reprising her '78 role), old bully, now friend, Lonnie Elam as mentioned above, and nurse Marion Chambers (Nancy Stephens, also reprising her original role). They have all come back to town to celebrate 40 years after they survive the events of 1978 (by the way, the film drills it into your head that 40 years have passed), but little do they realize, the Boogieman they remember is still on the loose, ready to make a comeback.

But something's missing here? What of Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), her daughter, Karen (Judy Greer) and her granddaughter, Allyson (Andi Matichak)? Well, they spend most of their time here in the hospital, which reflects 'Halloween II' ('81) just as much as the idea of forming an angry mob to go after Michael does. And the ones worst off here, as far as their wounds, are Laurie and Hawkins, who make a nice connection, but to see Laurie have to spend another sequel in the hospital after witnessing her badassery in 'Halloween' ('18) is a hard pill to swallow.

So basically, this ends up being a chapter that features our hero stuck in bed and focuses a bit more on the returning characters, who are seemingly led by Tommy, who might be the most annoying character I can think of in these reboots. He constantly repeats lines that may have sounded good coming from Loomis, as they are so corny, specifically when he begins chanting, "Evil dies tonight!" I know the man has changed with time and is barely recognizable, but I still see and hear Anthony Michael Hall from his John Hughes phase. He's a great actor, but I think he's in the wrong role here.

I don't hate this chapter, but I don't like it much either. It has some interesting stuff about it, such as the idea of the film focusing on mob mentality and how terribly out of hand it can get. It has the cool easter egg of including the 'Halloween III' masks, and I appreciate them seeking out some of the old cast members to come back, especially when their roles weren't that prominent in the '78 film. But most of what's cool about this movie does feel like fan service, and it feels like it takes a huge dip from its predecessor. It's funny, but any version of Halloween II seems about as cursed as any odd-numbered 'Star Trek' flick.

​2/5

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