The Bottom Line
As if filling in that unnecessary info isn’t enough, Rob Zombie also revamps the portion of Carpenter’s Halloween involving Michael’s surprise trip back to his old homestead and the reunion with his sister Laurie. And to be brutally honest, Zombie’s take on that particular event doesn’t hold a candle to Carpenter’s.
Pros
- At least it’s not another sequel
Cons
- Simply put – it’s not scary
- Adds nothing to John Carpenter’s original
- Lots of bad language, blood and gore, but not much else
- Trailer trash parents and a sleazy sister = too cliché
Description
- Stars Malcolm McDowell, Scout Taylor-Compton, Tyler Mane, and Daeg Faerch
- Written and directed by Rob Zombie
- Rated R for strong brutal bloody violence and terror throughout, sexual content, graphic nudity and language
- Theatrical Release Date: August 31, 2007
Guide Review - Halloween Movie Review (2007-Rob Zombie)
To say Michael Myers’ home life is dysfunctional is a gross understatement. The kid lives with a twisted dad, a scuzzy mom, and an older sister who could give classes in how to be a sleazebag. The only person not a total wreck is his infant sister.
He’s picked on at school, abused at home, and takes pleasure in offing animals. You don’t need a degree in psychology to see this kid’s a serial killer in the making. Of course, it’s also easy to figure out where he’s heading because this Halloween is the ninth film featuring the masked psycho.
After murdering his family (mom escapes because she’s busy strutting her stuff at a nudie bar), Michael winds up in a loony bin under the care of Dr Loomis. After being incarcerated there for almost 20 years, Michael stages a bloody escape and heads back to Haddonfield to look up his baby sis.
To Sum It Up
There’s really no need to spend half the film analyzing what made Michael Myers tick, but Zombie slowly lingers over events from Michael’s childhood for so long that the movie never goes anywhere and never builds up steam. Plus, the outcome Zombie wants audiences to reach regarding Michael’s motivation is jumbled and confusing. When he heads home and starts on his new killing spree, much is left unexplained and rushed because of how much time’s wasted on Michael as a kid. You almost need to see Carpenter’s Halloween in order to figure out what’s going on in the second half of this film, which is totally contradictory to what Zombie was most likely trying to accomplish with his remake.
There’s no suspense, not a single jump-out-of-your-seat moment. Zombie’s Halloween is gorier and much more brutal, but it’s not scary. And while Carpenter’s film was well-paced, Zombie's has no momentum.
This Halloween definitely won't stand the test of time and is ultimately a pointless addition to the franchise.
GRADE: D
