Halloween Resurrection — Film Review
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Halloween Resurrection, released in 2002, is the final film in the “original” Halloween franchise. That’s to say; it’s the last film before the series gets rebooted by Rob Zombie in 2007. The film takes place four years after Halloween H2O and is the final film featuring Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode. A brief sequence at the beginning of the film focuses on Laurie and Michael, but ultimately, this film is about a reality show. Entertainment, a production company helmed by Freddie and Nora (played by Busta Rhymes and Tyra Banks), hires six local college kids in Haddonfield to don cameras on their heads and spend the night in the old Myers house. The live footage is available worldwide to watch on Halloween night. Naturally, Michael knows someone is in his home and proceeds to take care of business.
While not my least favorite of the franchise, this film is far from great. Hell, it’s far from mediocre. The usual cast of horrible actors is even worse this time with the addition of Busta Rhymes. His character is given a slew of punchy one-liners that made me cringe more than the death sequences. The comic relief his character brings to the film is out of place and awkward. The rest of the actors are entirely forgettable; even their death scenes escape my memory only a few days after watching. The film’s biggest downfall is its plot. While in 2002, reality television was all the rage and a new concept, I don’t think it lends itself well to the Halloween story. Michael stalked at least one particular character in the other Halloween films with a purpose. He stalked them because they were related to him. Sure, he killed many others in his quest, but there was always the central stalking storyline to anchor the film. In Halloween Resurrection, this story is missing, except for the beginning sequence involving Laurie. Michael is simply killing off the people trespassing in his home, which doesn’t create quite the same depth. In the other films, I felt frustrated and sorry for Laurie, Jamie, or even the remaining Strode family in Halloween 6; I felt as though their destinies were unfairly selected, and watching them attempt to avoid their fate was what made the franchise fun. It all plays into the doomed feeling the original Halloween created. This film lacks the doomed feeling and the depth needed for a memorable horror film. I felt zero connection to any kids…
