Halloween II (2009)

**

Well let me start by saying that I am a huge "Halloween" fan.  I love the original and several of its sequels.  I was upset with the remake.  I did not like it at all.  I thought I would still give Rob Zombie's "Halloween II" a chance.  I'm glad I did.

One year has passed since the event in the previous "Halloween" film.  Laurie Strode is now lost and depressed.  Michael Myers' body had never been found, but everyone believes him to be dead.  That is until he shows up on Halloween!  Michael again is after Laurie, but this time Laurie knows more about the situation.  She now knows that Michael is her brother.  She does not take it well.

I was actually impressed with "Halloween II".  I liked it much better than the first one.  The biggest reason I liked it more was because Laurie was the main character instead of Michael.  I wanted Laurie to live this time.  I cared.  

Michael Myers is portrayed in a more realistic way in this film.  He is first seen not wearing his mask.  He has a huge, long beard and he wears a vest with a hood.  People in the film believe that he is a hobo.  This explains what he does during the rest of the year.  He just lives, walking in the shadows.  Michael is also much more brutal in this film than in any other "Halloween" film.  He really lets people have it.  His stabbing scenes last about 30 seconds longer than you would expect.  It was a bit shocking.  

What I thought really worked well was how the audience sees what is going on inside Myers' mind.  His mother appears as an eerie white apparition to Michael and she orders him to kill.  She tells him to get Laurie so they can be a family again.  Sheri Moon Zombie, as Michael's mother, did a good job.  She was very scary.  Along with his mother, Michael himself appears as an apparition.  Michael sees himself as a little boy along side his mother.  Now these ghostly images of Michael and his mother work, when inside Myers' mind.  When Michael finally catches up with Laurie, Laurie can see them too.  They are inside her mind and they hold her down so she doesn't get away.  I didn't like that so much.  I thought that Zombie should have waited until the very last scene to show that Laurie can see them too.  That would have been more shocking.

While all of this is going on, Dr. Loomis is promoting his new book about the events of the previous Halloween.  He is being criticized by everyone and he is being blamed for the deaths of countless people.  It was good to have this story line to take breaks from the action, but at the same time, I would have liked to see Loomis have more to do with the story.

I was really impressed this time with Brad Dourif's performance as Sheriff Brackett.  He really expresses his concerns and love for his daughter and Laurie.  It was a job well done.

Overall, "Halloween II" was a good sequel.  Zombie does an OK job directing.  I still don't think he is the best director, but at least he made some original decisions in a genre that has become stale with time.

B+  I recommend it.