The Shape Is Reunited With The Word Fear

It's beyond me as to why this film is as loathed as it is. "Halloween: Resurrection" impressed me upon its release late last year for the simple fact that it was actually atmospheric. The "Halloween" series began to put Michael out in the open in front of lights and in plain sight. He lost his creepiness in "Halloween II" due to this but was regained in "Halloween 4: The Return Of Michael Myers." The problem that was blatantly noticeable was that he became a draw for the box office therefore made it a necessity for him to be seen. With that being said the character lost a lot of his mysterious persona and became more of a recognizable face rather than one that was created to stay hidden. There is a point to this, however, and that point is "Halloween: Resurrection" succeeds at making him frightening again. It's nowhere near comparable to the first "Halloween" film but it's an underrated entry none the less.

We learn that internet entrepreneur Freddie Harris (Busta Rhymes) is starting a reality show based on an investigation of the Myers house. The goal is to put six contestants in the abandoned, re-decorated house to discover clues as to why Michael kills. Mayhem ensues as we learn that Michael stills lives in the house (or under it if you want to get technical) and he doesn't take to kindly to uninvited visitors. Not original by any means but then again would you expect that?

The real surprise is how well Loree portrayed the psychopath as a whole. His slow movements were convincing and he seemed to get a real kick out of moving through the shadows. You truly believe Michael is a madman in this film and when a movie can have you questioning reality, an actor is finally doing his/her job.

As the heroin Sarah, Bianca Kajlich gives a believable performance. Even with some corny line readings you can't help but feel she enjoyed playing this part. She gives the character a personality rather than a screaming, nervous wreck which is something I commend.

You don't need acting in a Horror film (I'm sure you've figured that out by now). What it comes down to is the elements of actual atmosphere and scares. It won't evoke true terror from the viewer but it can be called, if anything, suitably creepy. Thanks to Brad Loree's acting as The Shape the scare factor is upped a level. Although the level of atmosphere found in the first film is absent here Michael is used to excellent effect. The great lighting and equally as good set will certainly crawl under your skin. The actors do an above average job of acting terrified to the point of speechlessness and that's all that's needed for this film to succeed.