Zombieland: Double Tap

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Zombieland: Double Tap takes place ten years after the events of the first film. If there is any flaw that can be levied against this film, it would be that it isn’t as fresh as the first film (something that is very difficult for a sequel to accomplish). However, I still had a ton of fun with this movie. I didn’t go into it expecting something groundbreaking. I went into it wanting a film that was just going to be fun. Even after all these years, I still feel like the cast is having a ton of fun in their roles. The chemistry is still clearly there. I also love the new addition of Zoey Deutsch as Madison. In the hands of a less capable actress, this character would probably be grating. But, she’s a ton of fun. I’m glad the zombies have actually evolved in this film, and are broken down into subcategories. I also love the fact that there were actions taken by the characters during the first film’s events, and they have some acknowledgment in this film. I can’t say it’s as quotable as the first movie, but it’s still a lot of fun, and I really have to recommend this film to fans of the first movie. If you liked Zombieland, you’ll like Zombieland: Double Tap. 

8 / 10 

Halloween H20

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Twenty years have passed since the events of Halloween and Halloween II. Laurie Strode (played by Jamie Lee Curtis) has since faked her death and now lives in California under an alias, alongside her teenage son, John (played by Josh Hartnett). John makes Halloween plans with his friends and his  girlfriend Molly (played by Michelle Williams). Before too long, Michael Myers resurfaces after a long hibernation to wreak bloody havoc once again. The first thing to take note of is that this film actually ignores everything that happened after Halloween II, and that's something that honestly works in H20's favor. You see just how haunted Laurie Strode is, and you understand why she acts the she does. You also kind of understand John's perspective too. Until now, he hasn't had to deal with Michael Myers. In his eyes, Michael is dead. While the characters aren't super deep, you at least like most of them. The actors pretty much all do decent jobs with their roles. These aren't necessarily the best performances by these actors, but they serve the film well. The ending is something I have mixed feelings about. I do genuinely like it, but it's something I'll talk more about when I talk about Resurrection. The kills are pretty tame. They aren't awful, but they don't really do much to stand out to me. Most of the film's meta humor and dialogue works for me. However, every now and then, you do get a joke that doesn't land. A nitpicky complaint I've brought up with some of the past movies is when I don't particularly like Michael's mask. Well, there's a scene in this movie where the mask is CGI. 

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It looks genuinely bad. On top of that, I kind of feel like it's pointless. It was added during re-shoots to replace the mask that had already used, and apparently the scene couldn't be re-shot. So, I have to ask, was it worth it? Overall, I quite enjoy Halloween H20 as one of my personal favorites of the franchise. It's not a perfect movie by any means, but it is one of the films I have the most fun with. 

8 / 10 

Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers

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Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers is the final part of what Halloween fans dub the thorn trilogy. The film kind of takes what Halloween 5 sets up and doubles down on it, for better or worse. The film follows Tommy Doyle (played by Paul Rudd in his first film role) as he teams up with a young single mother, Kara Strode (played by Marianne Hagan) and doctor Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasance in his final film role) to put a stop to Michael Myers. Starting things off with the positives, Donald Pleasance once again proves to be the best thing about the film as a whole. Some of the kills can be creatively fun (one involving a fuse box truly stands out to me). George P. Wilbur is the first actor to play Michael Myers more than once, and he adds some solid brutality to Michael Myers as a character that I like. Then there’s everything else. While I like Paul Rudd fine enough as an actor, he’s honestly pretty bad in this movie. Some of the editing in this film is pretty bad, and there are moments that are honestly pretty difficult to make out. I also don’t like the direction they take the Jamie Lloyd character. Part of the problem for me is that she’s played by a completely different actress. J.C. Brandy is fine enough, but she doesn’t hold a candle to Danielle Harris. You can also see on screen that the producers, writers, and director all seemed to have very different ideas, making the final result a bit of a mess. Overall, my final thoughts on The Curse of Michael Myers feel very similar to my thoughts on Halloween 5. I don’t really have strong enough feelings to like it, but I don’t have strong enough feelings to truly hate it either. It’s mostly just kind of generic. I recognize that this is a bad movie, but I wish it was a little more entertainingly bad on the whole.

4 / 10 

Zombieland

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Zombieland follows a small group of survivors that come together to form an unlikely family in the wake of the zombie apocalypse. I knew this was a film I was going to have to talk about at some point, because it is a personal favorite of mine. The characters all have legitimate heart and depth to them. You understand where each of them is coming from. The actors all work off each other incredibly well. The film is the directorial debut for Ruben Fleischer (who would go on to direct Venom). The film is also written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (who would both go on to write the two Deadpool movies). This is a combination that works incredibly well. For one thing, the film is unbelievably quotable. I am happy to say that Zombieland still holds up after ten years. This movie is a ton of gory fun. It doesn't have a ton in the way of plot, but I don't think a ton of plot is needed for this movie. I want to be with these characters because they are likable characters played by talented actors. I also have to appreciate the film's visual style. It actually feels unique to this movie. There's almost a meta tone to it (almost in the same vein as movies like Scream before it, or Tucker and Dale vs. Evil after it). I don't know if I can quite go that far, but I feel like Zombieland knows what it is, and runs with it. If you somehow still haven't seen it after all these years, and this review managed to sell you on seeing it, then do it. I adore this film, and I am so glad that it still holds up for me.

10 / 10 

Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers

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Out of all of the movies in the Halloween franchise, I feel the most conflicted towards Halloween 5. I have seen this movie multiple times. Yet, every time I see it, I like it less and less. It feels like, all of the flaws just seem to shine through more and more. There are elements to this film I like (namely the performances by Danielle Harris and Donald Pleasance). I also quite like the ventilation scene near the end of the movie. I have mixed feelings towards the Tina character. A lot of fans absolutely hate her. I just never cared about her one way or the other. I should also note that I don't particularly care for Michael's mask once again in this film. It looks like an alien. Ellie Cornell as Rachel feels like she's underused. I should also note that I don't like that the film kills the character off so early. I don't like the addition of the two bumbling comedic relief cops. The comedy surrounding them just doesn't hit for me. The addition of the man in black doesn't really work for me either. The film was written by director Dominique Othenin-Girard, as well as Michael Jacobs and Shem Bitterman. I bring up the writers because, supposedly, the man in black character was added as a solution when they wrote themselves into a corner, and I think it kind of shows. Halloween 5 is not a god-awful movie by any means, but it is definitely one of my lesser favorites in the franchise.

4 / 10