Perhaps most surprisingly is that the new "Halloween" movie, third in the franchise to use that name, is pretty good. Actually, it's damn good, packed with atmosphere, full of fun little nods to the first picture, and plenty of gore. Now, don't go thinking that this is anywhere near the disgusting lust of blood that the thankless Rob Zombie duology exploited- the carnage here is shown quickly, almost obscured by smart camera angles, or just showing the aftermath, but boy, have times changed since the first film shocked audiences with just a few drops of blood.
That doesn't change just how entertaining the David Gordon Green-directed picture really is, how it tip-toes from horror to comedy, from slick to gritty, sometimes within in the same sequence, so frequently and so breezily. It never feels like multiple movies stitched together, everything flows from one style to the other seamlessly. It also doesn't feel like a cash-grab, a senseless remake or sequel just to make a few million its opening weekend; franchise star Jamie Lee Curtis returns as Laurie Strode, a broken character convinced that one day Michael Myers would return, she booby-traps her house like an R-rated "Home Alone" and spends here days either in her firing range, drinking, or ruining her daughter's and granddaughter's expectations. Of course, Michael does escape, just like in the original, during a prison transfer, and once again chases down Laurie (really giving her reason to drink).
The rest of the plot is generally a retread of several previous films woven into a tight little thriller, changing the names of baby sitters, and perhaps how they die, but you've seen it all before, except for Laurie. She is the star of this movie, despite having more of a supporting role, a powerful, convincing performance that rivals Donald Pleasence's as best in the eleven-film series. Her presence steals every scene, even when she's face-to-face to Michael, your eyes skip right over the bloodied, masked man and onto her, with her crazed eyes, cracked grey hair, and gun firmly in hand.
One other difference is the absence of Donald's Dr. Loomis, trademark of the series, who's role has been kind of split into two, Jamie taking over the steely professionalism he brought, and Dr. Ranbir Sartain (Haluk Bilginer), who is explained to have been looking after Michael after Loomis' death. He is a welcome addition, and is a far more interesting "Dr." character than the film initially leads on (thanks particularly to his performance).
Seen in a rather packed theater, "Halloween" worked on me well enough to get a solid three stars, but the audience was drawn as soon as they sat in their leather, reclinable seats. The lady next to me shielded her eyes with her hands when Michael stalked past a crying baby (he didn't, so you can lower your palm), and I heard another couple keep repeating "turn the lights on," and other lines that that; point is, the film worked on an audience-level, and that's really all that matters.
