Halloween 4: Le retour de Michael Myers

After serial killer Michael Myers wakes up during a routine transfer to a different hospital, he goes running back to Haddonfield and his former doctor, Dr. Loomis, tries to make it there before Michael can begin yet another bloodbath and murder his niece, Jamie.

Having a young child as the lead victim in a slasher movie is a brave choice. Some will find it tacky and offensive right from the start or, even worse, the child actor might not be seasoned enough to be effective in the role and could just come across as annoying, but young Danielle Harris is so wonderful and winning in the role that you really get invested in her character and want her to make it out alive. Most of the other characters aren't developed enough for you to give a hoot about them, but the filmmakers do handle the suspense sequences well.

The fourth movie of the Halloween series sees the return of Michael Myers and Dr. Loomis. Surprisingly, considering what happened to both of the them at the end of Halloween 2. But, it seems that they brought back Michael Myers for three reasons. First, it is 1980's and it's all about the horror sequels baby!!! Just like Friday the 13th, Amityville, Psycho, Howling, and Nightmare, Halloween couldn't resist the fun. Second, it was the 10 year anniversary of Halloween, so they had to honor Myers by bringing him back again, just like the 20th anniversary for H20. I guess will also see the 25th and 30th anniversary of Halloween with Myers escaping the nursing home on Halloween for these sequels. Finally, they brought him back because of the utter disappointment of Halloween 3, which shouldn't have ever been made. But after these reasons, it isn't that bad a sequel. Good for a late 80's horror movie. ** out of ****

After Halloween three, it was obvious that for this franchise to work on.any level, it needed The Boogeyman, it needed Michael Myers.

Ignore the plot, there isn't one, and there is no logic to any of the films, but this film, against all odds, is pretty good. I'd argue it's better than Halloween II, it's certainly less cliché ridden.

The question you'll be asking, what is Michael Myers now, he was shot, blown up, he's clearly not a man anymore. Anyway, he's back, and that's a good thing.

It's well paced, menacing, if features some nice references to the past, including the clown costume. They naturally increased the levels of violence, some scene ls are pretty nasty. The rocking chair scene is an outstanding moment of Horror, and the ending is really rather good.

Sometimes the sound is very tinny, hard to believe it was produced ten years after the first, which is so slick.

It's not perfect, but it is a very good horror film. 7/10

It is ten years after Michael Myers escaped from the psychiatric clinic and went on the rampage and he has been in a coma ever since being burnt at the end of Halloween 2. But one of the ambulance drivers transporting him somewhere lets slip that he has a niece in Haddonfield and before you know it he's making his way back there.

Myers has become seemingly indestructable by now. He was seen emerging from a hospital as a human fireball at the end of art 2 and yet he seems to have escaped more or less unscathed. And howcome he can see anything when he was blinded in Part 2 just before being roasted alive?

However, if you overlook these points you'll find this is an entertaining and well-made film. Dr Loomis returns to Haddonfield after his ex-patient, played by Donald Pleasance at his best, and there are plenty of interesting characters and situations.

One of the better of the Halloween series, certainly much more worthwhile than the dismal Halloween 5 or most of the repetative Friday the 13th films.

The Good: Maybe it's having just watched H20 and Resurrection, but H4 is a masterpiece in comparison. I almost forgot how scary Michael Myers could be until I re-watched this movie. He truly seems like a force of nature; a spookier Terminator who will kill anyone who gets in his way and you can only temporarily stop him. I think seeing him from the perspective of a little girl really helps; he's the boogeyman and you feel it. This movie expertly generates tension from a creepy atmosphere, in a return to form that must have been SO SATISFYING to audiences starved for Michael Myers back in 1988.

Danielle Harris' performance is truly amazing. She really captures the trauma and terror that her character is put through and is the emotional core of this movie. Honestly, without her powerhouse performance, this movie would not work as well as it does.

Even without her though, this movie is a lot of fun: Loomis is back and crazier than ever, you have the classic horror tropes and a final set piece that makes sense and is super effective. Instead of feeling dated, it almost feels...comforting.

The Bad: Unfortunately, this movie is pretty weak when it comes to kills, an important metric for any slasher. A lot of them are bloodless and generic, save for the opening kill and...well, the final one. It's also more than a little annoying as to how Michael can just teleport wherever he needs to be and becomes outright hilarious by the end.

The Ugly: Not gonna lie, I absolutely lost it at the sight of dozens of schoolchildren running after a little girl chanting: "Jaimie's an orphan!" The 1980s were not a subtle decade, that's for sure.