This movie was a huge deal when it came out. After 20 years, Michael Myers was going to come face to face with his sister Laurie Strode again and they would have a final showdown. The ads were all over the place and the movie was hyped up big time. The movie "Scream" had ushered in another wave of interest in horror movies, and this was a big nostalgic throwback to one of the first slasher movies. There was of course a big backlash against this movie from some horror fans, and now, years later, after the dust has settled, it will be interesting to watch this movie again and see how it plays out apart from all the hoopla.
This movie opens with a nurse finding her home has been burglarized. It turns out that she took care of the aging Dr. Loomis at the end of his life, and Michael Myers paid her a visit to settle the score. Laurie Strode is living her life, working at a secluded private school. She's a functional alcoholic who has a teenage son about the same age as she was when she had her first showdown with her murderous brother back in 1978. She's plagued by nightmares, of course, and she takes various meds for her anxiety and PTSD. About what you'd expect for someone who went through what she went through. She's overprotective of her son, and that causes tension between them, especially since it's Halloween and she has issues with this time of year (like, duh). Turns out Michael Myers is on his way to finish her off, and Laurie is going to have to fight for her life one more time.
A lot of the issues people have with this movie surround how it's filmed like a typical slasher flick and there's none of the artful camera work that set the original movie apart in the first place. At least that's one of the biggest complaints I heard back then. Watching this now when I just watched the original a few days ago, I notice the difference. This movie follows the more "self aware" trend of 90s slashers with a ton of jump cuts that were popular in slashers at the time. I like slashers though, so I don't really mind it, and it's fun seeing Jamie Lee Curtis in a horror movie again. I guess I just like this movie, as simple as that. I saw it back in college and thought it was cool then too.
The setting is beautiful and perfect for a movie like this. I forgot Michelle Williams was in this movie, but she does a good job playing the girlfriend. Josh Hartnett is also good playing Laurie's son (though I realized how old I'm getting when my first thought was how pissed I'd be if my kid pulled that stunt and didn't go on a field trip even though he knew how bad I would freak out and worry). The ending is kinda ridiculous, but with Michael's ability to come back from the dead, I guess I don't blame Laurie for taking action. Overall, this is still a fun movie. It's not as good, as subtle, or as artful as the original, but it works for me.
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