Halloween 5: The Revenge Of Michael Myers (1989) - Ellie Cornell, Beau Starr, Donald Pleasence, Danielle Harris, Wendy Kaplan

Following her her mysterious behavior at the conclusion of Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers, young Jamie is committed to the psychiatric care of Dr. Loomis. Meanwhile, Michael Myers is presumed dead following a shootout with the Haddonfield Police and a fatal fall down a mineshaft entrance. But all is not as it seems. A well-meaning derelict nurses Michael back to health, and one year later he is back to kill again! Jamie finds herself the object of Michael's murderous rage, and along with new friends and Dr. Loomis, she tries to prevent Michael from continuing his bloody rampage.

          Halloween 5 is the most uneven entry in the series. Although it has some intriguing elements, it is ultimately done in by it's adherence to the "Friday the 13th" formula (which, ironically, its progenitor helped establish). The first half is actually fairly interesting, as poor Jamie (Michael Myers' niece) suffers from severe psychic visions following her evil uncle's revival. Up to a point, it's a stylishly directed psycho thriller. A bit spotty, to be sure, as the slasher conventions are still there. There's another notable factor that brings up the suspense: which mindset will win out? The psychological aspects, or its more conventional elements?
          Alas, it was not meant to be. The second half is nearly unwatchable! The barn scene, in particular, drags on for what seems like an eternity. Furthermore, many of Michael's actions seem better suited to Jason Voorhees, as he disposes of teens with a pitchfork in the aforementioned scene, and a rake in another. Most of the characters are as irritating as you could dread from a film. The worst offender is Wendy Kaplan (Tina), who should be barred from ever appearing in another motion picture. Even Donald Pleasance doesn't seem to have his heart in it; he was reportedly at odds with the director and has since disowned the film. Danielle Harris gives it her best, but even she can't sustain the film during its terminal second and third acts. Even the direction falls flat all of a sudden.
          The latter portion does have an occasional good bit, despite my earlier statements. The laundry chute scene is admittedly good. There is also the suggestion that Dr. Loomis may not necessarily be doing the right thing, although I wouldn't hold it against him; his mental facilities are in decline, sad to say. Michael Myers himself may not be entirely outside the grasp of redemption, a bold move to be sure, but certainly a thought-provoking one.
          I want to make it clear that I focus upon the good ideas, as meager as they are, because the film could have been worthwhile with the proper thought and effort. Alas, the speed in which it was slapped together is all too apparent. The ending makes no sense, and fails to explain the presence of the mysterious Man in Black. Everything is a bit more clear after the subsequent installment, but that does not excuse the filmmakers from not developing the idea further.
          I'm not going to make a big deal about the fact that Michael survived the ending of the previous film. His next return was inevitable. What pisses me off is that this classic horror icon has been so ill-served.

- The bus that the Man in Black gets off of stops outside the exact same store where Jamie and Rachel went to get a Halloween costume in Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers.

- Rachel's character was originally supposed to be stabbed in the throat with scissors but the actress Ellie Cornell felt it was too gruesome an end for her character, so it was changed.

- When Michael is chasing Jamie and Billy in the car, Tina yells "Jamie!", but we hear "Billy!" come out of her mouth.

- The Myers House is shown as a huge, Gothic mansion, whereas in Halloween, Halloween II, and Halloween: Resurrection it is shown as a small, two-story Victorian house. (Dumbasses)