Halloween Kills

Tinashe Kusema

NEXT to the nineties classic “Friends”, ‘The Big Bang Theory’ remains one of my all-time favorite sitcoms.

Yes, I did enjoy the early episodes of ‘Two and a Half Men’, ‘Keeping up Appearances’, and a host of other comedies, but the Chuck Lorre sitcom is right up there among the greats.

One of my favourite episodes of the show can be found in the seventh season of the show’s run, in which Mayim Bialik’s character Amy Farrah Fowler destroys her boyfriend’s favorite film ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark”.

Her argument is that the film has one glaring story problem in that the protagonist Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) plays no part in the actual story of the film.

“If he weren’t in the movie, the Nazis would have still found the Ark, taken it to the island, opened it up and all died … just like they did,” I think is the actual quote.

The fact that it is actually true and the reaction from the gang throughout the movie are all priceless.

I only bring this up because I had a similar observation after watching the latest release in the never-ending Michael Myers slasher movie “Halloween Kills”.

But before I go into the nitty-gritty of the film, let me credit Universal Pictures for something.

Having grown up on the franchise, UP (Universal Pictures) deserves credit for not only longevity but some of the creative ways they have tried to keep things fresh.

Fresh sounds a bit wrong here, so let’s say moving along.

It’s been 43 years since the first Halloween movie was released, and in that time we have seen 12 movies, changes in the narrative, different sets of characters come in and leave and even new timelines introduced.

Admittedly, some of these ‘creative’ ways have worked, others not so much, but the story has moved on and one.

Kudos!

Halloween Kills is a direct sequel to 2018’s ‘Halloween”, which in itself was another reboot of the franchise, catches up where its predecessor left off.

Myers is presumed dead- having been lured into a trap, locked in a basement with the house set on fire- and Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) is being rushed to the hospital in an ambulance with her daughter Karen Nelson (Judy Greer) and granddaughter Allyson (Andy Matichak).

Unfortunately, the three commit one of the biggest sins in horror movies and don’t check on the body to confirm death.

A bunch of overzealous firemen try to save Mike Myers, and who in turn slaughters them all.

The infamous killer then goes on a rampage, leaving a wake of dead bodies in his path.

Once news of the deaths filters to the townsfolk, they arm themselves and set out to kill him.

Halloween Kills ticks off the boxes of its predecessors, with plenty of gory deaths and murders, a little humour, and an ominous score (music).

The sad part is that our main protagonist Laurie Strode, much like the famed Indie Jones in “Raiders of the Lost Ark”, plays no meaningful part in the film.

Instead, Jamie Lee Curtis spends the large part of the movie either bedridden or giving some ‘woke’ layer into the mystic of the famed killer Mike Myers.

It is something that needs further investigation as the famed killer has survived multiple stabbing and gunshots, an attempt to burn him alive and somehow possesses superhuman strength.

It’s almost like the lore of Mike Myers has transcended to some supernatural level, and putting him down will need a power of similar prowess.

If that is the direction the filmmakers are heading towards, with the rumored third installment of the reboot already making rounds, then there might still be hope for this fledgling franchise.

Otherwise, just kill the man already and get it over with.

This is one of the few films in which there are no noteworthy performances to speak about, and this is largely due to the poor writing and lack of character development.

Strode’s daughter and granddaughter were super annoying, and I found myself rooting for their deaths during the movie.

I mean the stubborn damsels in distress who have a moment of courage and fight is now played out, almost to the point of cliché.

The writers Danny McBride, Scott Teems and David Gordon Green didn’t do actresses Greer and Matichak any favours in that regard.

Tommy Doyle (Anthony Michael Hall) and Lonnie Elam’s subplot feels rather forced and rushed, leaving the audience indifferent to their plight and motivation.

Instead, the MVPs of the film are the comedic duo of Scott MacArthur and Michael McDonald’s Big John and Little characters.

It helps that the two are noteworthy comedians, and really make full use of both their material and limited screen time.

For those familiar with the franchise, I do urge them to watch it and join me in praying for the franchise’s end in the near future.

Like me, I assume you are too invested in the story and would love to see it through.

If not a fan, you won’t lose much if you skip this movie.