In the absence of any characters worth caring about or even a little palpable tension, there’s never anything particularly scary about Rob Zombie’s Halloween II. Though he thankfully avoids the pitfall of cheap ‘gotcha’ scares, Zombie can’t muster the genuine suspense that would have bred compelling horror. Michael Myers (Tyler Mane) gets himself a backstory and a mission here, but becomes too soft of a boogeyman as a result. Violence fills the void – after all, promiscuous teenagers aren’t going to butcher themselves – but its far from foreboding in a film where violence is kind of the expectation.

Left for dead – though nobody seems to know where he was left – Michael Myers is haunted (as much as the scary guy can be haunted himself) by visions of his mother (Sheri Moon Zombie) asking him to reunite their family by killing his younger sister (Scout Taylor-Compton). Having failed to do so one year ago, Michael renews his hunt, killing anybody that he happens upon in strip clubs and parked vans – all typical sister hiding places – in increasingly brutal ways.

Zombie tries desperately to give his ‘hero’ a story; a purpose. Unfortunately, removing the mystery also removes the menace, and Halloween II suffers greatly from Michael Myers’ transformation into something of a protagonist. Audiences aren’t used to cheering for the bad guy because they want him to be validated. Anything deeper than straightforward violence is unnecessary in a slasher flick and – present here – reeks up and down of the bullshit that it is. Nobody is coming to a Halloween movie for an examination of Michael Myers’ psychosis, and that’s probably a good thing.

Give credit to Zombie for giving it an honest go, though, even if he does fumble a few of his higher concepts. The worst of these misfires proves to be Doctor Loomis (Malcolm McDowell). Less the doomsayer here than he was in the first installment, Loomis is now Zombie’s personification of capitalism and the evils of greed. His side-story is meant to build tension and maybe make a political statement, but distracts instead. Indeed, it seems he’s along for the ride merely to provide a pivotal piece of information in the most roundabout way imaginable before being shoehorned into the final scene. Loomis was the single best opportunity for Zombie to develop a worthwhile character. Too bad, then, that he learns nothing and teaches less.

Were the expectations for a Halloween film not so bluntly straightforward, Zombie might have been able to achieve his bigger vision, but a Michael Myers character study is not what people line up for. Reaching for the unattainable, then, mires Halloween II in a state of confusion that no amount of blood can wash away, try as Zombie might.

For his efforts, though, Halloween II is a gory, violent romp in true but enhanced Zombie form. Saying that it makes the first installment of his Halloween reboot look timid by comparison is an understatement. However, the brutality of it all is softened slightly by the fact that nearly half the violence takes place in the nightmares of Myers’ little sister. Dreamt or not, the blood flows freely enough to please those who seek it without an interest in where it happens to be flowing from. Unfortunately, those expecting the little ‘something more’ that Zombie set out to deliver will be sorely disappointed.

By Greg Joachim

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Directed by:
Rob Zombie

Starring:
Tyler Mane
Malcolm McDowell
Scout Taylor-Compton

Released by:
Dimension

Released on:
August 28, 2009