As many of you probably didn't know, I was rather keen of Rob Zombies' Halloween remake (as well as his other films too). I get a lot of shit for it, but I picked up the Blu-ray the other day and you know what? I still like it. Its a fun, stylish slasher that's very entertaining and who's only real problem is its lack of scares. So now that the sequel has hit theaters, me and my buddies decided to take a trip to the movies to see Michael Myers go on yet another killing spree to find his lost sister Laurie.Since I'm tired and don't feel like writing a long review for the film, I'll just write a short one.

Lets start by pointing out my favorite thing: great gratuitous violence! Zombie knew exactly how to make this sequel far gorier than the first. The kills are extremely brutal and the sounds can be gag-inducing to some (I heard some going on in the theater). There are plenty of kills, so the blood never runs dry. Another thing I enjoyed was the atmosphere. This films ends up looking even better than the first. There are some great moments as Zombie's direction is great here. He knows how to express what he wants to show us, which is good since most of it involved someone being sliced up or overacting. Speaking of acting, most of it is sound here. The dialogue could have used some work (I still don't understand why Zombie insists on every character saying "fuck" at least six times in one sentence). One person who really stands out is Brad Dourif, who plays Sheriff Lee Brackett. You feel sympathetic for his character since he seems the most "normal" in the bunch who's just as clueless as everyone else.

The story this time around takes some heat. I understand what Zombie was going for, but he really does miss the mark. He tries very hard to convey all of these deep meanings and occurring themes, but they end up coming across as confusing and not fleshed out. And it sucks too, because there is some good stuff here, but it gets lost in its own attempts. The constant use of Michale's dead mother dressed in white is meant to show his own psychological fuck-ups, but most of the time these scenes come across as just silly. Most, but one. There is a very cool scene in which young Michael talks to his mother about being close to bringing Laurie home. They stand in from of a feast surrounded by strange characters with weird masks and some cool makeup effects. Its scenes like this that stand out amongst others.

One other issue I had was with Dr. Lumis. Malcolm McDowell returns as the good doctor who analyzed and treated Michael years ago. He's here again, but this time he pretty much plays it safe. His character runs around trying to promote his new book, but since he has no connection with the rest of the characters until the end, he feels far away and unnecessary. Lumis is a great character and I wish he was used more. The ending did rub me the wrong way too. Much like the first film, there is not closure but instead more questions raised. This kind of ending is beginning to get very redundant, as there is no guarantee that there will be a sequel (which I kinda hope there isn't). The one point the film's ending does convey is the definite descent of Laurie's mind into madness. As a whole the film is an entertaining slasher picture, but Zombie has failed to give us more than that. As it stands, its an inferior sequel that isn't as interesting or as fun as its predecessor, but its a fun way to kill an evening with some friends. If you're aren't a big fan, wait for the DVD.

My Score: 5/10