Movie Review: Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988)
Synopsis: After being in a comatose state for 10 years, Michael Myers awakens and starts a new Halloween killing spree as he returns to Haddonfield, Illinois in search of his 7-year-old niece.
Who's in it? The movie stars Donald Pleasence, Danielle Harris, George P. Wilbur, Ellie Cornell and Kathleen Kinmont.
Review: I had never taken the time to watch this movie, mostly because I haven't had a good experience with most horror movie sequels and have serious doubts about pretty much any movie installment that takes place several years after the original. However, my wife and I came across this movie a couple days ago and decided to record it. And, after watching it last night, I have to admit I was much more impressed than I expected to be.
The movie, as expected, had some flaws. For example, I'm still confused about how Myers (Wilbur) knows how to drive a truck when he's been locked in an insane asylum since he was a child. Plus, considering what happened 10 years earlier, why are people so hesitant to give Dr. Loomis (Pleasence) the benefit of the doubt when he says their lives are in danger? Despite that, the movie was still fun to watch.
One thing, in particular, I liked about this movie was the way the action started almost immediately. A lot of other films from the Halloween series (including the original) take forever to get started. This one had Myers striking quickly and often.
The film also manages to build much more suspense than I was expecting, especially when they were hiding his niece (Harris) in a barricaded house with plenty of dark corners for him to lurk in. And, unlike in many other similar movies (one of my biggest pet peeves) some of his victims at least attempted to put up a fight and make things difficult for him.
I also have to admit, I love the surprise twist at the end of the film. In hindsight, I probably shouldn't have been surprised by it because there were clues. But, I was. And, considering most movies don't manage to do that, I was definitely pleased by it.
My only real complaint about the film is I found I really didn't like the citizens of the fictional Haddonfield, Illinois. As I told my wife as we were watching this, they kind of deserved to be slaughtered by Myers, including the very nasty little children who bullied his niece and the not-so-bright lynch mob that was shooting at everything that moved (only to chicken out when they finally had him cornered). Because of this, I was a little disappointed his body count wasn't higher.
Final Opinion: As I said, this movie had some flaws. But, it was definitely a better film than I was expecting and I did enjoy watching it as a result of that.
My Grade: B
Who's in it? The movie stars Donald Pleasence, Danielle Harris, George P. Wilbur, Ellie Cornell and Kathleen Kinmont.
Review: I had never taken the time to watch this movie, mostly because I haven't had a good experience with most horror movie sequels and have serious doubts about pretty much any movie installment that takes place several years after the original. However, my wife and I came across this movie a couple days ago and decided to record it. And, after watching it last night, I have to admit I was much more impressed than I expected to be.
The movie, as expected, had some flaws. For example, I'm still confused about how Myers (Wilbur) knows how to drive a truck when he's been locked in an insane asylum since he was a child. Plus, considering what happened 10 years earlier, why are people so hesitant to give Dr. Loomis (Pleasence) the benefit of the doubt when he says their lives are in danger? Despite that, the movie was still fun to watch.
One thing, in particular, I liked about this movie was the way the action started almost immediately. A lot of other films from the Halloween series (including the original) take forever to get started. This one had Myers striking quickly and often.
The film also manages to build much more suspense than I was expecting, especially when they were hiding his niece (Harris) in a barricaded house with plenty of dark corners for him to lurk in. And, unlike in many other similar movies (one of my biggest pet peeves) some of his victims at least attempted to put up a fight and make things difficult for him.
I also have to admit, I love the surprise twist at the end of the film. In hindsight, I probably shouldn't have been surprised by it because there were clues. But, I was. And, considering most movies don't manage to do that, I was definitely pleased by it.
My only real complaint about the film is I found I really didn't like the citizens of the fictional Haddonfield, Illinois. As I told my wife as we were watching this, they kind of deserved to be slaughtered by Myers, including the very nasty little children who bullied his niece and the not-so-bright lynch mob that was shooting at everything that moved (only to chicken out when they finally had him cornered). Because of this, I was a little disappointed his body count wasn't higher.
Final Opinion: As I said, this movie had some flaws. But, it was definitely a better film than I was expecting and I did enjoy watching it as a result of that.
My Grade: B
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