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With the wildly acclaimed, classic and amazing Halloween made back in 1978, It isn't exactly fitting to say that I wanted this remake to happen, as I was already pleased enough. tons of sequels were made thereafter as well. Some were great, but most were just the same old thing, and didn't come close to capturing the magic that was held in John Carpenter's classic. The original still stands as my favorite horror film of all-time, no question. So, booting up the franchise in the 21st century seemed rather disrespectful to me, especially considering Rob Zombie was at the helm; the man known for his grotesque, over-the-top, blood filled scenes, portrayed in his other projects.
This remake doesn't exactly bring to life any of the classic's elements. Though that shouldn't be a huge surprise, considering the way horror's are nowadays. Zombie seems to be programmed on one tone; continuous violence, and he probably always will be. After seeing House of 1000 Corpses, and The Devil's Rejects, I prepared myself for what was to come, waiting anxiously on how Rob was going to handle it this time around. Sufficed to say, he stuck with his favorite sadistic and bloodthirsty theme, turning this remake into something completely separate from any of the previous installments. I'm no longer considering this a remake, but instead a completely new franchise for the new era. For if I was to judge this film by it's predecessors, It would've completely fallen flat. Once I got the notion of what Rob Zombie was doing, I just sat back and enjoyed it for what it is; a mindless blood-crazy extravaganza.
The story is along the same lines as the original, but focusing more on what Micheal did before his incarceration, in his home, and why he became a maniac. The 1978 version's majority was about what Myers did after he'd escaped the mental institution, showing just about 10-15 minutes of his childhood. They are completely different chronicles, and I really liked them both. However, The Classic will never be surpassed. It depends on preference, really. If your a teenager you'll probably prefer the remake, as it's mainly just a lot of very entertaining kills. More mature audiences who are big fans of the original, may enjoy this, but only for a guilty pleasure flick to watch when you don't care to think too much. I'm in the latter category, because I really liked this movie, just not for the same reasons as the original. I have fun every time I see this, mainly because I sometimes do enjoy mindless bloodshed.
Having said all that, the remake isn't that straight forward. In fact, the story isn't bad, and occasionally pays homage to the original, which was nice on Zombie's part. Most of the deaths are very well done, albeit sometimes too over-the-top, but they somewhat resemble that of it's predecessors.
The Friday the 13th remake failed to distinguish itself from most other slashers, with the by-the-books directions it took, and rushed, unnecessary scenes. I'm also not a big fan of Jason Voorhees, so I found it to be a pretty bad film.
On the bright side, Rob Zombie's remake of the infamous slasher; Micheal Myers is a fresh and entertaining feast, full of some nostalgia, and much entertainment to be had. Just don't expect anything like John Carpenter's visionary masterpiece. Take it as a wholly different franchise, and you should have fun.
7.8/10
