Violent ‘Halloween’ sequel has nothing new to say after 40 years

“HALLOWEEN” — 1½ stars — Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer, Andi Matichak, Will Patton, Rhian Rees; R (horror violence and bloody images, language, brief drug use and nudity); in general release

Watching the new “Halloween” is a lot like seeing your favorite classic rock band in concert. The tickets are a lot more expensive than they used to be, the music sounds familiar even though half the band is missing and the people you recognize have put on a lot of mileage.

David Gordon Green’s film is a direct sequel to John Carpenter’s 1978 “Halloween” — wiping the cinematic slate of the 10-odd sequels and reboots that have come in the time since. But it’s clear early on that the new film is just another rehash.

In the original “Halloween,” child killer Michael Myers breaks out of custody, goes on a murderous rampage and winds up in a showdown with a teenager named Laurie Strode (played by Jamie Lee Curtis, the original Scream Queen). In this new movie, Myers breaks out of custody, goes on a murderous rampage and winds up in a showdown with an older and more paranoid Laurie.

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

The 40-year gap between said showdowns hasn’t been kind to anyone involved. Myers has been in custody the whole time, giving everyone the silent treatment, and no one seems to be able to make any sense of his legendary night of mayhem. In the meantime, Laurie has suffered through two failed marriages and lost custody of her daughter on the way to pulling a “Terminator 2” Linda Hamilton, holing up in a remote home/fortress stocked with an array of floodlights, secret rooms and firearms.

Laurie’s now-grown daughter Karen (Judy Greer) has been trying to get over her dysfunctional upbringing and is raising a daughter of her own, who, conveniently enough, is about the same age Laurie was during the first movie. Allyson (Andi Matichak) is a national honor student navigating the treacherous waters of high school and trying to bridge the estranged gap between her mother and grandmother.

Slasher movies aren’t known for their inventive plots, and “Halloween” is about as linear as it gets. Early in the movie, Myers is freed during a botched prisoner transfer, and he immediately sets about killing everyone he encounters while almost telepathically tracking down Laurie and her family. Will he kill Allyson? Will he kill Laurie? How does he magically find his way to all of the supporting characters in sequence? Who knows, but we do know he’ll clear a lot of cannon fodder along the way.

The familiar routine might be welcome to fans of the series, since along with the aforementioned sequels, this new film dispatches a mythology that involves Druids and medical cults to explain Myers’ behavior and claims that Laurie was actually the killer’s kid sister in hiding. “Halloween” is nothing if not simple, and for audiences looking for a sequence of nihilistic and gruesome killings, well, Merry Christmas.

It’s not like the movie doesn’t have the chance to throw in a twist or two. At one point, a supporting character notes that Myers’ original murders would hardly be a blip on today’s 24/7 news cycle radar, but the theme is never explored. And apologies for the minor spoiler, but if you’re going to spend the entire movie referencing the main character’s refusal to speak, wouldn’t it be kind of a nice payoff to actually have him say something at the end? Every time it looks like the plot may take a more interesting direction, the story lurches back into its rut and we get to hear the greatest hits once again.

There are plenty of hits in “Halloween” … and stabbings, and impalings. The movie earns its R rating for violence alone, along with steady R-rated profanity and some female nudity during a flashback to the first film.

Stephen King once suggested that we love horror movies because they help us keep our own monsters at bay. Let’s hope so … it’s hard to imagine any other use for this film.

“Halloween” is rated R for horror violence and bloody images, language, brief drug use and nudity; running time: 106 minutes.

Joshua Terry is an award-winning writer and photographer who also teaches English composition for Weber State University. He has written weekly film reviews for the Deseret News since 2013.