My Review of Halloween 2 (1981)

Written by John Carpenter & Debra Hill
Directed by Rick Rosenthal

Graham: "No fillings. He's young. Maybe seventeen, maybe eighteen."
Sam Loomis: "Michael Myers is twenty one."

With the success of the 1978 original movie, a sequel was inevitable and while this one took three years to materialise, the events of the first movie still heavily factor into Michael Myers's second outing. Considering this one picks up from where the first one left off, that's not really much of a shocker though.

I have to admit that I've seen subsequent sequels to the Halloween franchise before clapping eyes on this one and while the sequels have had their hit and miss quotient, this was an okay first attempt of expanding the menace that is Michael Myers for the wider audience.

In this sequel, the events move a little from the neighbourhood of Haddonfield right into the hospital of it as Michael Myers (Dick Warlock) continues his hot pursuit of babysitter, Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) while Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasence) does everything in his power to try and stop the rest of Halloween night from becoming a complete carnage fest.

Of course, this is easier said than done as Michael works his way through killing a few more neighbours before tracking Laurie in the hospital in an effort to finish his original intent. Of course with Jamie Lee Curtis taking something of a backseat in this sequel of sorts, time is given to some more of the characters.

Loomis in particular seems to have more screentime as we learned the connection between Michael and Laurie and looking at the first movie in context, it's a reveal that doesn't seem like it was planned from the start. I don't mind that Michael and Laurie are actually related (although he looks more 41 than 21 to be honest) but it's revealed in something of a hamfisted sort of way that it jars somewhat with the story as Michael goes out murdering most of the hospital staff in some gory and inventive ways before reuniting with both his sister and Loomis.

The final confrontations that Michael had with both of them are strong enough and there's certainly an intensity felt like there was in the first movie but I do feel a bit more time could've been spent on Laurie in this one. The ending had things not panned out differently could've provided some decent closure to Michael Myers but instead it served as a temporary pit stop until the character would resurface in the fourth film.

- The song Mr Sandman bookends the movie as it does further sequel, Halloween H20.
- Rick Rosenthal would later go on to direct the final movie, Halloween Resurrection twenty one years later.
- Picking a death from this one that stood out (and many did) was seeing poor Karen getting boiled to death in the hot tub.
- Jamie Lee Curtis's wig stands out a few times in this movie. Still better than Michael's hair though.

Halloween 2 is a decent, if not spectacular sequel Setting it straight after the events of the first movie certainly worked in it's favour but it's main revelation was something that could've been addressed better. However with the slew of inventive deaths though, it's a strong enough follow up to it's iconic original.

Rating: 7 out of 10