THE RATING
THE LAIR EXPERTS
Matt: Rob Zombie delivers the gruesome gore in this film, unleashing a brutal sequel (in more ways than one) on the 'Halloween' universe. There was a lot Rob did right with this film (tributes to previous films in the series, showcasing the transformation of Laurie Strode, etc.), and a lot he did wrong (what happened to the Loomis and Annie characters?). Apart from that, Tyler Mane once again tears it up as Michael, and Scout Taylor-Compton brought forth a Laurie the likes of which we've never seen-- and may never again.
The supporting cast was as good as could be expected, and the cameos weren't as obvious this time around. Brad Dourif was also much better in this film. He was very convincing as Sheriff Brackett and there was absolutely no evidence of Chucky in his voice this time around (a plus!). What dragged this down was the "hobo" appearance Michael had throughout the film, complete with a full beard and half a mask, as well as no explanation of what he did for the two years since the events of the first film. I am also not a believer in "white horse" storyline, which Rob later admitted was something he made up. There was no need to have his wife in this film, or a younger version of Michael. It takes away from the performances Sheri and Daeg Faerch gave in the previous film, particularly when Daeg was replaced by Chase Wright-Vanek. And what is up with the constant use of the F-word? It just seemed like he put it in there so many times with no purpose or reason. It seemed a little excessive, even for a Rob Zombie film (case in point after the crash of the coroner's van).
The musical score by Tyler Bates was pretty much par for the course with what you've come to expect in a Rob Zombie film, and Rob once again dove into his music archive to put together a greatest hits collection and pass it off as a soundtrack. The Carpenter scores were sorely lacking in this, which would have given it more of a 'Halloween' identity.
On a positive note, Rob didn't use any remake material at all in this and truly made it his own. Good or bad (mostly bad), you have to respect the man's vision. 4 out of 10.
A.J.: What more can I say than that this movie blew my mind. I was hooked on this movie from the opening scene, to long after the credits finished rolling. This was the first horror movie that I left the theater in complete amazement, and I believe any true fan of Halloween and/or of Rob Zombie will also leave feeling the same way. Like all movies thought it did have its bad parts. The one that stuck out to me the most was the entire Dr. Loomis storyline. Rob never quite had a grip on the Loomis character from the first movie, and he practically ruined the character in this movie. His scenes were really unnecessary and slowed down the pace of the movie.
Rob also went a bit overboard with the visions of Deborah Myers and young Michael Myers, but the way he used them to illustrate to the viewers whats inside of Michael's head is brilliant, and it adds a whole new dimension to the film and the character of Michael Myers himself. The good parts of this movie outweigh the bad by a wide margin. Scout's performance of the transformation of Laurie Strode is nothing short of Oscar worthy. Yes, you read that right, Oscar worthy! Tyler Mane was once again stellar as The Shape, and a pleasant surprise had to be the performance of Brad Dourif. He really delievered as Sheriff Brackett, which really helped this movie a lot because Sheriff Brackett plays a much larger role.
Last but not least, the way this movie ends is absolutely outstanding. I almost jumped out of my seat in the theater and started cheering, and I will even go as far out on a limb to say this may very well be the best ending of ANY Halloween movie ever! This is without a doubt a must see movie. I give it a 8.5 out of 10.
THE FANS
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NOTE: These ratings are of the Lair experts. If you don't agree with us, then you don't know what you're talking about. If you would like your own review added to our fan section, e-mail us at: lairofhorror@yahoo.com and just maybe we will post it here.
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