Blu-ray review: Halloween (2018)

Synopsis: Forty years after the events of 1978’s "Halloween," Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) now lives in a heavily guarded home on the edge of Haddonfield, where she’s spent decades preparing for Michael’s potential return. After being locked up in an institution, Myers manages to escape when a bus transfer goes terribly wrong, leading to chaos in the same town he preyed on decades earlier. Laurie now faces a terrifying showdown when the deranged killer returns for her and her family – but this time, she’s ready for him.

Main Feature: The latest incarnation of "Halloween" is an uneven mess. More character study than horror, this 2018 reboot-ish film had good intentions. With director David Gordon green at the helm, something interesting was going to come from this take on the events of the 1978 horror classic, written by Danny McBride ("Tropic Thunder," "Pineapple Express," TV's "Eastbound and Down") of all people. And much like how I think of McBride the performer, I find him the most effective in small doses. He clearly is a big fan of the original and has a unique way Laurie Strode should be. But his fandom seems to have gotten in the way of making an effective film. There are elements of being refreshingly different, but then goes through a series of 'wink wink' callbacks to the original, becoming more distracting and glaring than clever and respectful. I get the PTSD take on Laurie Strode. Curtis does her best with it, but it was more effective in "Halloween: H20" than here. With Green and McBride's POV, they focus on Michael Myers (obviously). Curtis' Strode is made out to be the foundation of the Myers legend, but the imbalance of handling the two removes a cohesive style. Its not a terrible film by any means. But it is not good either.

Special Features: If Curtis is truly a scream queen, why would a featurette be only two-and-a-half minutes long? This is the tip of the disappointing extras iceberg. Standard fare with behind the scenes that are all-too brief and deleted scenes. Very lackluster in this area.

Final Call: It is great to see Jamie Lee slash her way back into Haddonfield, but 2018's "Halloween" entitled Michael Myers fans to more than one good scare.

Grade: C-