Halloween: Resurrection
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 This is why you don't make a sequel that "resurrects" and negates a fine conclusion with plot holes and Busta Rhymes.
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Halloween: Resurrection is a 2002 American slasher film directed by Rick Rosenthal, who had also directed Halloween II in 1981. Larry Brand and Sean Hood devised the screenplay. The film is a direct sequel to Halloween H20 and it stars Busta Rhymes, Bianca Kajlich, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Ryan Merriman, Sean Patrick Thomas, Tyra Banks, and Jamie Lee Curtis, with Brad Loree as the primary villain Michael Myers. The eighth and final installment in the original 1978–2002 Halloween franchise before being rebooted in 2007 and again in 2018, it follows Michael Myers continuing his murderous rampage in his hometown of Haddonfield, when his old, derelict childhood home is used for a live internet horror show.
Halloween: Resurrection was released on July 12, 2002 to largely negative reviews, with many considering it an unnecessary sequel to Halloween H20: 20 Years Later. The film earned $37.6 million at the box office, with a production budget of $15 million. Although another sequel was planned to follow Resurrection, the next film in the franchise became Halloween, a 2007 remake directed by Rob Zombie.
Plot
The original house of horrors, the dilapidated home of infamous serial killer Michael Myers, has now become the setting of the webcam reality show "Dangertainment". But when the veteran slasher discovers that a group of university students has taken over his old killing grounds, he decides it's time to bring the blades out of retirement.
Why Evil Never Found Its Way Home
- This movie is unnecessary, as the predecessor, Halloween H20, had a fitting end to the series. This is due to executive meddling as series producer Moustapha Akkad has a clause that Michael Myers can't be killed, even though in H2O Laurie decapitated Michael at the end of that film. The idea to bring him back was conceived while shooting H20 which led to shooting the scene on how he survived for this film.
- Busta Rhymes was thrown in just so the movie can get a familiar and relevant face, at the time, in there.
- The movie humiliates Michael Myers and Laurie Strode in the worst way possible.
- Busta Rhymes' character: "Freddie" would always taunt and overpower him in fights with kung-fu, even making Halloween-related one-liners while he does it.
- Laurie Strode gets killed off for making a very stupid decision by trying to reveal Michael Myers’ face, despite that his hands have not been restrained while he’s been hung upside-down. The worst part would be her very little screen time as stated below.
- The scene where Freddie is wearing a Michael Myers costume while the real Michael is walking behind him, causing Freddie to turn around to see him and tells him to go somewhere else and not be Michael Myers: Not only does Michael literally listen to Freddie’s instructions, he didn’t even go in for the kill. This scene alone just took away Michael’s fear factor and basically turned him into a joke.
- Speaking of Laurie Strode’s death: this just makes Michael Myers' motivation to murder completely unnecessary. In the franchise, Michael is known for mainly targeting those who were a part of his bloodline.
- Killing off Laurie in such a way was very unnecessary.
- It makes it more baffling when Laurie's son John doesn't make an appearance nor is ever mentioned.
- Some of the characters are unlikeable.
- The movie is responsible for killing the franchise for 5 years.
- Awful cinematography and editing that makes it feel more like a direct to video movie than a theatrical film.
- Michael Myers' mask is pretty ugly and way too detailed.
- Adds in 2000s movie clichés such as found footage tapes. While this is convenient to the plot, this just makes the movie feel predictable.
- Michael Myers is pretty weak in the movie, as he gets overpowered by Freddie with kung-fu moves while making stereotypical karate noises. There was literally no statement on how he learned martial arts outside of watching Jackie Chan movies either, so it just feels very unrealistic.
- Several unrealistic, cartoony moments, like when Sara screams so loud, she makes glass break.
- Misleading poster: On the poster, it shows Laurie as if she's going to be important to the plot when in reality she only appears in one scene before being killed off. (In fact, Jamie Lee Curtis said the only way she would come back was if Laurie was killed off)
- Also in the poster: Laurie has short hair, but in the film: she has long hair.
- Misleading title: Even though the subtitle was chosen to let audiences know that Michael Myers is alive, it turns out that he never died in the last movie, which means he wasn't resurrected. Laurie ended up killing a paramedic that Michael switched clothes with which allowed him to escape from the authorities.
- Some of the dialogue just kills what made the first few Halloween films so terrifying, such as the "Trick or treat, motherfucker!" line.
- Many pointless moments.
- It doesn't even feel like a Halloween movie for the most part.
Redeeming Qualities
- Despite the poor execution, the premise of the film is actually very interesting on paper.
- Jamie Lee Curtis still does a good performance like in the previous movies.
- There were at least some decent kills.
- There were some funny moments, especially with Busta Rhymes.
- The Myers house looks like the way it did in Halloween I and II unlike in Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers where it looked liked a gothic Victorian-style house.
Reception
Critical reception
The film received highly unfavorable reviews from several critics. On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 12% based on 67 reviews, with the site's consensus being: "The only thing this tired slasher flick may resurrect is nostalgia for when the genre was still fresh and scary." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 19 out of 100, based on 17 reviews, indicating "overwhelming dislike". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.
Lou Lumenick of the New York Post said, "It's so devoid of joy and energy it makes even Jason X look positively Shakespearian by comparison." Dave Kehr of The New York Times said, "Spectators will indeed sit open-mouthed before the screen, not screaming but yawning." Peter Travers of Rolling Stone said, "Every sequel you skip will be two hours gained. Consider this review life-affirming." Joe Leydon of Variety said, "[Seems] even more uselessly redundant and shamelessly money-grubbing than most third-rate horror sequels." Glenn Lovell of the San Jose Mercury News gave a positive review: "No, it's not as single-minded as John Carpenter's original, but it's sure a lot smarter and more unnerving than the sequels."
Box office
Halloween: Resurrection was released on July 12, 2002 in the US to moderate reception which did not change in its later international release. The film peaked at #4 on its opening weekend on US screens raking in $12,292,121 behind Reign of Fire, Road to Perdition and Men in Black II. It grossed $30,354,442 domestically and a further $7,310,413 for a $37,664,855 worldwide gross.
Videos
Trivia
- The 2018 Halloween film ignores the events of this sequel and all of the others.
External links
Halloween: Resurrection at the Internet Movie Database
Halloween: Resurrection on Rotten Tomatoes
Halloween: Resurrection on Metacritic
Halloween: Resurrection on Letterboxd
Comments
- Bad media
- Bad films
- Horror films
- Box office hits that received negative feedback
- 2000s films
- Sequel films
- Halloween films
- Films with misleading posters
- Slasher films
- Thriller films
- Bad movies from good franchises
- Live-action films
- Monster films
- Movies that killed the franchise
- Holiday films
- Edgy films
- American films
- Miramax films
- Films with misleading titles
- Films with cancelled/scrapped sequels