Don't get into an improvised hot tub when Michael Myers is nearby.
Released: 1981
Genre(s): Horror, Thriller
John Carpenter proved with the first "Halloween" that sometimes the most effective horror movie antagonist doesn't need some convoluted backstory or even speaking lines, for that matter - all that's necessary is a big knife, the uncanny ability to show up suddenly where there are vulnerable people, and a blatant disregard for human life. Michael Myers serves up a second helping of terror with his return in "Halloween II," stalking a new set of unfortunate (and fairly clueless) victims, as well as a significantly less resourceful Jamie Lee Curtis. However, despite a larger budget than its predecessor, the thrills in this film feel a bit cheapened somehow: while the kills are significantly more creative, the build up before each fatality lacks the same palpable tension that made the first movie so unsettling. Michael Myers is still an imposing figure in a physical sense, but the atmosphere isn't as heavy this time around, making his onscreen presence seem somewhat less menacing. Regardless, the end product doesn't fail to provide some nail-bitingly creepy situations and there's no shortage of bloody carnage - this is your bread-and-butter slasher film, and while it's lost some of the insane, macabre momentum the first "Halloween" harnessed so completely, it still has the capacity to provide an enjoyable, fright-filled experience, whether you decide to view it on Halloween or Christmas morning.
Rating (out of 5): 3
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