Halloween Resurrection, released in 2002, is the final film in the “original” Halloween franchise. That’s to say, it’s the last film before the series gets rebooted by Rob Zombie in 2007. The film takes place four years after Halloween H2O and it is the final film featuring Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode. There is a brief sequence at the beginning of the film focusing on Laurie and Michael, but ultimately, this film is about a reality show. Dangertainment, a production company helmed by Freddie and Nora (played by Busta Rhymes and Tyra Banks), hires six local college kids in Haddonfield to don cameras on their heads and spend the night in the old Myers house. The live footage is available for all the world to watch on Halloween night. Naturally, Michael knows someone is in his house and proceeds to take care of business.
While not my least favorite of the franchise, this film is far from great. Hell, it’s far from mediocre. The usual cast of horrible actors is even worse this time with the addition of Busta Rhymes. His character is given a slew of punchy one-liners that made me cringe more than the death sequences. The comic relief his character brings to the film is out of place and awkward. The rest of the actors are entirely forgettable; even their death scenes escape my memory, only a few days after watching. The film’s biggest downfall is its plot. While in 2002 reality television was all the rage and a new concept, I don’t think it lends itself well to the Halloween story. In all of the other Halloween films, Michael stalked at least one particular character with purpose. He stalked them because they were related to him. Sure, he killed many others in his quest, but there was always the central stalking storyline to anchor the film. In Halloween Resurrection, this story is missing, with the exception of the short sequence at the beginning involving Laurie. Michael is simply killing off the people trespassing in his home, which doesn’t create quite the same depth. In the other films, I felt frustrated and sorry for Laurie or Jamie or even the remaining Strode family in Halloween 6; I felt as though their destinies were unfairly selected and watching them attempt to avoid their fate was what made the franchise fun. It all plays into the doomed feeling the original Halloween created. This film lacks the doomed feeling and it lacks the depth needed for a memorable horror film. I felt zero connection to any of the kids trapped in the Myers house, therefore I couldn’t care less if or how they died.
The best part of this film, and truly the only reason it scored a three, is the opening sequence with Laurie and Michael. Jamie Lee Curtis is always a welcome presence in this franchise, and I enjoyed her time in this film despite the fact that it was limited. Curtis is a true scream queen, and she brings a level of honesty and emotion to both her character and the franchise that no one else has. The quarter of an hour with her and Michael was suspenseful, dramatic and fulfilling.
Unfortunately for viewers, a kick ass opening was the only bright spot of this film. Plagued with bad acting, terrible writing and a plot that left me feeling... nothing... Halloween Resurrection wasn’t quite the finish I wanted for the franchise. It’s no wonder Rob Zombie felt the need to remake it after this poor showing. Lucky for Myers, his 10-film franchise is vast and it’s a marathon, not a sprint (neither of which he’d participate in). Here’s hoping the rest of the films can average him out to a worthwhile serial killer on horror island.
If you liked Halloween Resurrection, you might also like Halloween (2007), Halloween 2 (2009) and Friday the 13th.