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 

Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers

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Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers takes place ten years after the events of the first two films (Halloween III is its own separate thing). Michael returns to Haddonfield after lying dormant for a decade, and begins hunting his young niece, Jamie Lloyd (played by Danielle Harris). Naurally, Michael himself is being hunted by Dr. Loomis (played by Donald Pleasance). Halloween 4 is one of the more difficult movies in the franchise for me to talk about. It's not an awful movie by any means. I actually genuinely enjoy it. However, I also can't say I particularly love it either. I legitimately love the performances by Donald Pleasance and Danielle Harris. I also want to give props to Ellie Cornell as Rachel. The film actually does a solid job with the relationship between Rachel and Jamie as foster sisters Some of the kills can be pretty fun. One of the earliest kills involves Michael Myers sticking his thumb into a man's forehead. The rest of the cast falls more into category of just being forgettable. Nobody in this film is really that bad. They just don't stick out as really being that memorable. It might seem like a nitpick, but I don't really like Micheal's mask in this movie. It sticks out to me as looking too white, almost to a point where I think it looks kind of cheap. As a fan of the Halloween franchise, I quite enjoy this film. It's not one of my personal favorites in the series, but it is definitely the best of the thorn trilogy. 

6 / 10  

Halloween II (1981)

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Halloween II immediately follows the events of the first film, and sees Michael Myers stalk Jamie Lee Curtis's Laurie Strode through an empty hospital while she recuperates. Meanwhile, Doctor Loomis (played by Donald Pleasance) continues to hunt Myers down, intending to put an end to the shape once and for all. The first thing I need to note is that Halloween II is much more of a standard 80s slasher movie. The body count is higher, and the film adds more gore. The twist involving Michael and Laurie's relationship is fine. It's not really something I've ever really had strong feelings about one way or the other. I actually don't think Laurie Strode is as a strong of a character in this film as she is in the first film (or some of the later films to come). She doesn't really feel like an overly active protagonist. Loomis (and Donald Pleasance's performance) is once again in top form as character. It feels like the longer he pursues Michael, the more he seems to slip into madness. The rest of the acting is fine. It's not really anything spectacular, but it's better than a lot of the acting slasher films tend to offer. The hospital setting actually works really well, making for one of the film's most effective aspects. Is it realistic for a functioning hospital to look this empty? No, but it works for what the film is going for, and I can't really fault the movie for that. Overall, I think Halloween II is a fine enough sequel. I can't say it's one of my personal favorites of the franchise, but I definitely can't say it's one of the worst in the franchise either.

7 / 10 

Gemini Man

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Henry Brogan (played by Will Smith) is a hitman who finally decides it is time for him to retire. Before too long, he is forced to go on the run with an inexperienced colleague (played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead) when Brogan’s higher ups worry he has been told too much about his last target. Brogan must soon battle the one person who can truly match him, a younger clone of himself. When I first saw the trailer, it immediately got my attention. I was curious to see how this film was going to turn out. Honestly, I really dug it. I find it interesting that the idea for Gemini Man has been floating around since the 90s, because this kind of feels like a throwback to a lot of sci-fi action movies that came out around that time, and I think that’s why this worked for me. It is well-acted, particularly by Smith and Winstead. The action is a ton of fun. It’s not perfect though. The characters aren’t super deep. There’s this sort of uncanny valley when looking at a de-aged Will Smith, and it kind of sticks throughout the movie for me. As much as I like Clive Owen as the movie’s main villain, it feels like he’s a bit underused, and his character is never fully defined. In the end, is Gemini Man a great movie? No. It is a pretty entertaining ride though. 

7 / 10

Scooby-Doo

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Scooby-Doo is based off of the popular cartoon series from the 1960s. A year after Mystery, Inc. breaks up, they are lured to a horror-themed island resort by the park's eccentric owner (played by Rowan Atkinson) in order to solve a mystery that involves guests going missing. Before too long, they learn that the mystery goes deeper, and there may be more nefarious purposes than they were initially led to believe. OK, looking at this film from a critical standpoint, it's not very good. But, it really could have been. The movie is written by James Gunn, and the writing is really where you get a lot of the most clever stuff, most notably the reveal of the villain. In case you haven't seen the movie, I won't give it away. I also think the cast has genuinely good chemistry with one another. Matthew Lillard and Linda Cardellini are pitch perfect as Shaggy and Velma respectively. While I do think Freddie Prinze, Jr. and Sarah Michelle Gellar work off each other and their other co-stars well, they are hard to buy as Fred and Daphne. I don't feel like I'm watching Fred and Daphne, so much as I'm watching Freddie Prinze, Jr. and Sarah Michelle Gellar. But, there are two areas in this film that are genuinely bad. The CGI is awful. The film is also pretty poorly directed. The movie is directed by Raja Gosnell. Trust me when I say, the Scooby-Doo movies are his best movies. While I can't call this a good movie, I can at least admit that I enjoy it.

7 / 10 

Wishmaster

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An appraiser played by Tammy Lauren accidentally unleashes an evil djinn that has been trapped inside a gem stone for centuries. I feel like this film is a treasure trove for horror fans. The movie includes cameos from the likes of Kane Hodder, Robert Englund, and Tony Todd. I love the film's practical effects, especially when it comes to the film's gore. Andrew Divoff really shines as the villainous djinn in this movie to me. Every single time he's onscreen, he's just having the time of his life. I also think it's creative to have the antagonist be an evil genie that twists words when someone makes a wish. One thing I will say is that I think the term "guilty pleasure" really applies to this film. I really enjoyed it, especially the aspects I just mentioned. However, the film has a lot of problems. For example, some of the dated CGI looks pretty rough. As much as I love the performances by Divoff, Englund, Todd, and Hodder, Tammy Lauren in the lead is pretty bad. A lot of her delivery feels very stiff. Overall, Wishmaster comes off as an entertainingly bad, cheesy film that seems to know exactly what it is and relishes in what it is. I recommend this film to fans of bad horror movies that just want something to laugh at, and be entertained by.

6 / 10 

Men In Black: International

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Molly (played by Tessa Thompson) has spent most of her life searching for the Men In Black. When she finally manages to find them, she sent is sent to London on a probationary trial. From there, she helps Agent H (played by Chris Hemsworth) to save the world from an impending invasion. As usual, the creature designs are pretty good. Further props should go to the visual effects and the makeup. Tessa Thompson and Chris Hemsworth have good chemistry together. The action is pretty fun, and is decently well done. OK, plot-wise, this really doesn’t add much that’s new to the Men In Black franchise. It’s got some similar beats to the first film. Granted, it isn’t a carbon copy, and I’m thankful for that because it easily could have been. I don’t really know why F. Gary Gray directed this movie. He comes off as weird choice to me. It felt more like he was trying to emulate the style that Barry Sonnenfeld brought to the first three movies, as opposed to just bringing his own style to this fourth film. The final result is a film I can best describe as decent. I didn’t love it. I didn’t hate. It was a fun enough way to kill two hours. This isn’t the best Men In Black movie. That would still be the first film. But, it certainly isn’t the worst either. That distinction still goes to Men In Black II for me. 

6 / 10