Halloween: Resurrection came and went without much notice. It did poorly at the box office and was poorly received by critics and audiences alike. Even though the ending left room for a sequel, the possibilities for a ninth Halloween film were looking somewhat bleak.
Original films like The Ring (although a remake) and 28 Days Later were fairing well at the box office and it seemed like the generic slasher film was coming to another end. But in August of 2003, Freddy vs. Jason was released and ate up box office receipts. It seemed like the sure fire way to make money and bring audiences back in droves was to combine icons like Jason Vorhees and Freddy Krueger into one movie.
Another way of doing this was the reboot. Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Dawn of the Dead were two of the first and both did quite well with audiences. Horror was booming and it was looking good that a new Halloween film would emerge.
On November 11, 2005, sad news hit the world of the Halloween franchise. Moustapha Akkad had died. The producer and man responsible for the continuing legacy had been killed. Along with his daughter, the two were killed in Jordan when a suicide bomber detonated his bomb. It was a sad day for his family, his fans and the world.
Malek Akkad, his son, took over the reigns and in 2006 began the process of making a new Halloween film. He, like many others, jumped on the reboot idea and hired Rob Zombie to direct the latest Halloween. And on August 31, 2007, Rob Zombie's vision of Halloween was released on the world.
This Halloween, by far, is the best Halloween film since the original. It outshines every sequel, including the great H20 and it brings new life to the series. Zombie added much to the story rather than just making a straight out remake and in the process fleshes out the characters and gives them more meaning.
The first hour of the film takes place following Michael Myers from a kid to an adult, from a torturous home life to the murder of his family to the sanatorium and his eventual escape. The rest of the movie is a remake and homage to the original film.
Dr. Loomis, now played by the great Malcolm McDowell, has more character than ever before. He has feelings, is troubled and feels not only responsible for Michael but like they are part of each other. Michael Myers as a boy comes off great. He is troubled and menacing and evil. We see anger and pain and trouble in his eyes and face and when he grows up we see it all in his eyes as the brooding adult he becomes.
Tyler Mane plays the adult Michael. He is a big man and he plays Michael brilliantly. His portrayal of Michael is probably portrayed here the best in the whole series, and yes, that includes the original. He is large and scary and says a lot with his eyes. He moves right, he acts right and after 8 Halloween films, if a viewer was to picture Michael Myers in their head, Tyler Mane as Myers is what they would picture.
The rest of the cast (minus Sheri Moon Zombie) are all great in the roles and bring lots to the film. Sheri Moon is the weakest link but even still she isn't terrible. The casting is great and features horror and film icons in many roles. Brad Dourif, Ken Foree, William Forsythe, Dee Wallace and Danny Trejo all make appearances (and that's just the tip of the iceberg). Danielle Harris of Halloween 4 and 5 is back too, this time playing the best friend of Laurie Strode, and she makes a welcome return to the series.
The music too is just top notch. Tyler Bates original score is haunting and noisy; modern and scary. He incorporates the original haunting theme in many areas of the film and really blends the two together well. As well, all the songs one remembers from Halloween and the sequels are present in this movie and show up as little homages through out. The music really works well and brings much to the film.
Great cinematography and great colours are present throughout. This is by far the bloodiest Halloween and the props and make-up department do a great job. Zombie's directing is excellent and he has created a jarring, tense and nerve racking experience. The editing is well done too, although the film could maybe be cut by about ten minutes, but otherwise everyone has worked at the top of their game for this film.
Rob Zombie's Halloween is filled with terror, scares, blood, gore and nudity. It has terrific directing, great acting, excellent music and the best of the best of the brooding Michael Myers. Although not as simple as the original, and maybe just a tad to long, audiences will be thrilled and exciting when watching this film. It brings Halloween back to it's basic, while at the same time it brings a whole new slew of originality to the story.
Whether one is a Halloween fan, or a horror movie fan who has never seen a Halloween film before, they really cannot go wrong by sitting down for two hours and watching Rob Zombie's immaculate version of Halloween.
Film Rating: 85%
Breakdown (How Halloween: Resurrection scored 85%):
Production Design: 9 out of 10
Cinematography: 9 out of 10
Re-playability: 9 out of 10
Originality: 8 out of 10
Costumes: 8 out of 10
Directing: 8 out of 10
Editing: 8 out of 10
Acting: 8 out of 10
Music: 10 out of 10
Script: 8 out of 10
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