Rob Zombie's Halloween (2007)

Director: Rob Zombie
Cast:
Malcolm MacDowell/Dr. Samuel Loomis
Tyler Mane/Michael Myers
Daeg Faerch/Young Michael
Sheri Moon Zombie/Deborah Myers
Scout Taylor-Compton/Laurie Strode
Danielle Harris/Annie Brackett
Brad Dourif/Sheriff Brackett

PLOT:
Michael Myers grew up in a messed up home with a stripper mom and a trashy slut sister and a abusive stepfather. He grows up to take out three annoying trashy girls. John Carpenter's Halloween, this ain't!

BREAKDOWN:
What a weird movie to review. It's such an uneven movie. I'm sick and tired of this whole remake trend. I want some original horror flicks!!! There's a reason why I'm looking at France for all the horror films these days. Their movies are scary and they just rock! But back to remakes, I guess we have to get used to them because i have a feeling they're going to be around for a while. But there is still a line...and remaking Halloween was the line!!! It's one of my personal favorite movies. It's perfect and scary and suspenseful as hell! But at least once I heard Rob Zombie was going to helm it, I was relieved a little bit. I still did not want a remake but at least he'd make his own movie...sort of. But onto that later.
The first half of the movie was it's strength. It was REALLY cliched but it was still interesting to watch. But cliches started from something. I actually was feeling bad for young Myers. I just wanted to mess everyone up. I loved the relationship he had with "Boo" and his mother though. He seemed to genuinely love them. The first half I found to be well written and it's a different type of Haddonfield...the white trash Haddonfield.
The second half of the film is where it becomes a remake. This is my issue of the movie. This half kind of...sucked! There was NO suspense and I was not scared once whatsoever. I just was entertained...but I want more. I want to be feeling my heart racing and feeling like it's about to jump out of my chest. For example the closet scene in the original is better than this entire movie put together. Now that was a well put together scene. The second half was rushed and VERY by the numbers. The three main characters...were annoying and crude and I could not wait for them to die. It WAS good to see Dr. Loomis again though.
Acting wise, pretty much everyone was on the ball. The three girls although they were annoying...that is how they were written. It's not their fault. So they did good...but their characters were shit.
With the direction...again UNEVEN! The first half had style and added substance...while the second half became by the numbers, TOO shaky cam...i hate shaky cam, and just was get the job done. No suspense and no tension was felt by this hombre.
With the soundtrack by Tyler Bates, it was great! It echoed John Carpenter's score, while adding it's own tinge. I loved it!
The ending chase scene was good...but again i felt no suspense. But that might be because i didn't feel a thing for ANYONE in this god damn movie. I just wanted them to die.
The death scenes were great though. They were brutal and really got the job done!
Overall the movie was UNEVEN! How do you have a solid first half than a shitty and by the numbers second half. I definitely felt some studio tampering in this project. I kind of wished Zombie wrote a full out prequel and then maybe shot the "remake" part as a different movie...or no remake whatsoever...but i DID love the sequel as you've read in the other review.
I really wanted to like this movie...and I did to an extent...but it could have been better. But I do love Zombie for trying to do something a little bit different. I'll give him that.

GRADE: 5/10