Well, the title certainly fits as there are a TON of kills for this Halloween. In general, the kills work, in so far as they are entertaining as you take in what feels like the latest episode of this show. It is a straight continuation of the last film and it genuinely feels more like the latest installment of a series coming off of a cliffhanger and less like a film, which left it a little adrift and schizophrenic at least when it comes to the film's plotting. In fact, this is more of a “slasher adventure” than a horror film, for better or worse.
The thrust of this film, other than sharp items in people’s vital organs, is the after effects of the original Halloween horror and the last film. It deals with the aftermaths and echos of such horror, the change in the social psychology, and the weight of survivor’s guilt. Such tragedy breeds hysteria, madness, and a Twilight Zone-esque monster creation. The flip-the-script, hunter becomes hunted, concept of the last film is ramped and amped to nigh comical levels. None of these elements are subtle, as they don’t just hit it on the nose but smash the face completely in.
Somehow this film is even more of a love letter to the original film. The characters and events of that film are even more pronounced and meaningful, making up the entirety of this one, somewhat to the detriment of the characters that had just been introduced in the last. It also fully embraces the “slashereyness”, going for lots of kills and making them gruesome. I think for a big chunk of the audience, that will scratch the itch.
The more I consider this film, the less impressed I am. It doesn’t really have any movement or build - stuff just happens, to the point where sense be damned. The ending is...unsatisfying for the intense formulation of the preceding film and the past hour & a half. I can’t say that it was bad because I did enjoy myself, but I have strong doubts about the innate quality therein.
