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| Film vitals |
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· Year: 1989
· Director: Dominique Othenin-Girard
· Writers: John Carpenter, Debra Hill
· Cast: Donald Pleasence, Danielle Harris
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| Series info |
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Part of the Halloween series.
· The film series branches into two story arcs after Halloween II. The first involves films one, two, four, five, and six, and the second counts films one, two, seven, and eight as canon.
· Halloween III does not follow the Michael Myers storyline.
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Amazon.com
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| Synopsis |
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In this, the fifth Halloween film (and the fourth to feature zombie-like maniac Michael Myers), the killer's niece is able to predict the murderer's actions, but is unable to convince anyone of that fact.
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RATING
Out of 100 |
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42
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| COLD ANALYSIS |
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Despite a potentially interesting plot twist (the Shape's niece can now sense his movements), this film is below average--it's unimaginitive. There are a couple of suspenseful scenes--I'll give it that--but the movie just seems to be going through the motions. And as for the supposedly revelatory ending, well, it just doesn't fit into the film and wasn't that cool in the first place.
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Come on, guys, give this movie a break. Yes, there are huge plot holes in this movie, but at least it's trying to tie up loose ends and expand on the ideas introduced in the other sequels (starting with the druid symbol Michael draws on the chalkboard in Halloween II). The humor in this film is often misused (i.e. the annoying, distracting, three-stooges-type cops) but Jamie is an interesting and sympathetic character. He relationship with her uncle is well-portrayed, and we get the sense that she's honestly trying to connect with him and help him stop. And that connection, plotholes aside, is what saves this movie from being too hideously stupid.
Yes, it's true that this film didn't really make me jump (and that's saying a lot, because it really doesn't take much to scare me), but the creepy corruption-of-youth, can-she-stop-him tension is very storng and it makes this film well worth seeing. At least it's better than number 4!
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RATING
Out of 100 |
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The series has gained a low as deep as only possible with this one. The fourth sequel continues where the third one left us, resurrecting Michael and unleashing him again. But what worked in all the other parts doesn't work here: Of course it is tragic when people are being killed, but it is somewhat of a duty for a storyteller to give the victims faces and facets - Michael is circum-stabbing unknown or barely known characters, increasing the rate of kill but without a chill. There is no other reason for the audience to feel pity for the victims other than that they're being victimized, but here they've fallen victim mostly to the storytelling, not to Michael.
Part five tries to follow a concept without having understood the original depth in it - it doesn't try hard, and it has to fail. I've read that part six is supposed to be even worse, but I haven't seen that one yet, so this has to remain my favorite for the worst Halloween-rip-off.
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