Movie Review: Halloween Ends

 Hey everyone, my name is Anthony and welcome back to Movie Review Halloween Special.

Now, from previous times, we got the very first one from 1978, the return in 2018 (for the 3rd time since H20) and Kills. And now, we’re finally reaching the final trilogy of Green’s Halloween trilogy to “Ends” this right away before the end of October (And before FNAF movie). Sorry for my pun, but its we’re getting here today.

“Halloween Ends” is a 2022 slasher third and final one of the Halloween trilogy that was written/directed by David Gordon Green, produced by Malek Akkad, Jasom Blum and Bill Block, and co-written by Paul Brad Logan, Chris Bernier, and Danny McBride.

Like I said in Kills, after the success at the box-office of 2018’s Halloween, Green gave us two movies as a trilogy of his own Halloween movies for a new timeline. With the 3rd and final installment after waited if they wanted to do a back-to-back style movie but rejected for waiting. But when it comes to the last one, it was originally meant to be not just a slasher movie, but also a love story (Since Kills was meant to be an action horror movie) and also meant to be a departure of Halloween franchise, which is what John Carpenter was told as both composer and executive producer of this movie. While I appreciated that this will be the last one for good, but im not so sure if they want to add a love story part, since we want to see the final battle between Laurie and The Shape.

After got delayed due to pandemic, when this movie came out on October 14th 2022, this one is also mixed, while some like to see the finale with the battle of two familiar characters to put the end, but also criticized for the focus of one new character for “Character Arc” after both Laurie and Michael.

For me, I wanted to going back to the theater, but based on my concern to have another virus, I had to skip it and reviewed “Halloween Kills” until im finally gettin’ into Ends. Also, il give a shoutout to @Zuko-Halliwell since requested it to me last year, but again, saved it for this year. Well Zuko even though I have a schedule plan to finishing the Halloween trilogy, but at the same time, your request (kinda) has been granted.

So, with all that said, is this a satisfying ending to put down Michael Myers, or is this one of those worst way to end the franchise?

Well, lets find out.

The Story

The best way to describing is imagine Halloween sorta imitates Friday the 13th Part 5, but with a familiar killer in a movie than just a dream, which is exactly what it feels like. But don’t worry, il review Friday the 13th Part 5, though maybe the story is sorta better than Part 5.

It begins in 2019 (A year after the event of Michael Myers’s killing spree), where we strangely introducing Corey Cunningham who’s on a babysit to the boy Jeremy Allen. But after watching John Carpenter’s The Thing (Nice reference since the inclusion of The Thing from another world), when Jeremy pulled a prank to locking Corey in the attic, Corey tried to break free, but went too far for not only kicked the door hard, but also knocked off the kid and killing him from falling to the ground, causing him to get arrested from manslaughter that he’s pretty much left himself as an outcast. Fast forward to three years later, while Michael Myers vanished after what happened at “Halloween Kills”, but it still bothering to mentioning The Shape in Haddonfield. The remaining Strode family, Laurie and her granddaughter Allyson, despite lost their third girl (aka Allyson’s mother) Karen, they live in a new home, while Laurie is on writing on her memoir. While Allyson going out, she meets Corey, after being bullied from being an outcast by the high school bullies, she tries to comforting him for not only a date, but also in a Halloween party, but not before after got argument from the mother of the late Jeremy, Corey was reaching a boiling point about he’s about to running away, but after got bullied again by the same bullies from being thrown under the bridge, he’s… Strangely being carried to the sewer, revealing Michael Myers is not only hidden himself, but made made Corey saw The Shape as an opportunity from his witness to live himself in a dark path after killing a homeless man. Its up to Allyson and Laurie to not only defending themselves, but also trying to dealing with Corey before Michael coming back again.

Yeah, that movie’s plot is similar to Friday the 13th Part 5 for a similar plot as I stated before, which while the Strode family are trying to clearing the point to Corey than being an outcast, but the movie is pretty much focuses too much about Corey from being inspired from the killer like Michael Myers after being badly treated. I maybe give a credit of the idea of one character taking inspiration from the killers much like what Friday the 13th Part 5 did, but the downside is that, even though we do have Michael Myers, but again, it focuses too much about Corey taking inspiration from The Shape rather than clearing up from the past when the Strode are trying to helping out without doing the good’ol fashion blaming game. Not to mention, some writing can be good, but also some questionable part like how they said Corey is infected, infected for what? Got cut himself open or The Shape’s evil inspiration? Which would’ve make to say “Don’t get to inspired from Michael”, I get it wants to have a complex writing, but could’ve gone better for its execution when it comes to movie about unnecessary newcomer becomes a killer like The Shape.

The writing is a double edge sword that while I may like the idea of a person took inspiration from the killer like Michael Myers, but the execution could’ve been better if it focuses on Strode’s warning rather than too focusing on Corey (kinda like Mortal Kombat remake for focusing too much on Cole Young than either Scorpion or Liu Kang).

The Presentation

The movie’s budget costs $33M in this third and final installment and I will say, it looks pretty nice and like before, pretty bloody for Halloween movie.

For location filming as Haddonfield, Illinois, they originally filmed in the summer of 2020 with Wilmington, North Carolina, but delayed due to the “You know what” of 2020 and they decided to relocated in Georgia like Savannah and Sylvania. Its a pretty nice location choice, even if the locations compare to previous Halloween movies are different, il give a credit to have some new places like Strode’s new home, an abandoned Allen’s previous house from what happened in the opening, a sewer, a radio station and some others, even if they kinda made a sorta similar pattern like starting on a neighborhood after the opening credit, to the party and the main Halloween night, its almost like in 2018 Halloween, unlike Kills that it takes place in one long night (kinda like the original Halloween 2).

As for the effect, as always, they’re done with a mix of practical, stunts and some digital effect at post production, its pretty good work there for not-so expensive budget. Michael Myers appearance looks nice, even if he looks the same with half crispy appearance since the 2018’s ending, but aging poorly in this movie’s appearance (but saving him later), the house designs are pretty nice, even if im disappointed that they never brought back Myers’s house, which they mentioned the house is demolished in the movie, pretty disappointing, but my only guess is to saving their budget.

As for the kills, boy, the kills are pretty bloody and brutal, ranging from typical hard stabbing, slicing open, gun shot and even contacting with a car, the latter of which is for providing some stunts with adding gory practical effect. But one part that its probably hard to watch is the opening sequence of having a kid Jeremy Allen died from falling off from staircase with a brutal face damage of death. Jeez, this is the second time we have a dead kid in a Halloween movie since Halloween 2018, quite brutal way to start the movie eh? Like I said, the kills are pretty good and gory, some are hard to see like the aforementioned Jeremy and some definitely well-deserved, even if I wish we want to see Michael Myers killing more people than Corey (again, more on characters later).

As for the body count (consider a spoiler warning), sadly, Dead Meat’s Kill Count hasn’t uploading the take of Halloween Ends yet, but for my knowledge, there are about 11 people who’re killed from either brutal accident, Corey or The Shape, but im not gonna give more detail about those body counts, just making my own count for my best, cause im no Dead Meat expert.

Lastly, even though they’re using some licensing songs from the past, but il give a credit for a nice and creepy composure soundtrack with our old friend John Carpenter, his son Cody and Daniel Davies.

The Presentation is once again nicely work for its action, a nice locations and even good’ol bloody kills. But im both disappointed and sad that don’t even brought back Myers house for having Cory looking at the house instead of demolished.

The Characters.

In a previous installment, the characters are either wasted or a complete idiots, so you think the characters will being resolved from what happened? Well, kinda, especially we have a very minimal of characters in this movie.

Lets start off with Strode and Nelson, Laurie Strode (reprised by new Oscar winner, Jamie Lee Curtis), the mother with PTSD, and Allyson Nelson (reprised by Andi Matichak). Since they lost Karen, they’re now in duo, think of them as a female version of Batman and Robin. For Laurie, even though she’s kinda left as an afterthought, but at least we can have her more screen time to keeping Haddonfield safe if The Shape is coming back, as well as planning to writing a memoir, while Allyson is just there for either checking about Corey or planning to moving away from Haddonfield (im pretty sure the latter of which is for her closure for her new life after Halloween). Though its a shame that they lost Karen at the end of Kills, but at least they’re still nice to be together while keep their eyes for keeping the town safe, and both Jamie and Andi are still did a nice work of their roles, but then again, im happy for Jamie for winning her Oscar, im sure her late mother Janet Leigh looks down at her and saying “Im proud of you, Jamie, you’re always amazing”.

Finally, there’s The Shape himself, Michael Myers (reprised by James Jude Courtney and dubbed by Nick Castle), in previous film, Myers is almost like a main star that we see him going around killing people while Laurie is stayed in a hospital. So you think The Boogeyman will make more screen time for more killing spree? Sadly, its a complete opposite, whereas Laurie and Allyson are having more screen time, Michael on the other hand, is very minimal. This time, he’s gotten aged poorly and badly shape after all of the abuse he had in Kills that he left himself in sewer. I understand to having The Shape is gotten weaker, but having him left in a same way as Laurie in Kills is just disappointing that we focusing on a new character.

And speaking of the latter, lets get to the elephant in a room, Corey Cunningham (played by Rohan Campbell), he’s gonna be a new villain in this movie how he’s treated as an outcast after his accidental killing at Jeremy when he was babysat, based on a combination of Allen’s family hate him, his parents parents are mixed that his mother Joan (played by Joanne Baron) overbearing him from the past, while his stepfather Ronaldo (played by Rick Moose) who’s wanted to have a sympathy on his son. Like I said before, because Michael Myers is left in minimal appearance, Corey is pretty much the equivalent of Fake Jason, aka Roy Burns from Friday the 13th Part 5, as I already mentioned before, again, I maybe appreciated of the idea of character took an inspiration from a fictional killer, but the execution is weak for not only The Shape left there watching, but also overly focusing on Corey from depression to going madness against the society in Haddonfield. But I’ve nothing against Rohan, I think he did a nice work of his role, but its just when he’s portraying Corey just as lame as Roy’s reason of being fake Jason.

Finally, there’s the gang of bullies, Terry Tramer (played by Michael Barbieri), Stacy (played by Destiny Mone), Margo (played by Joey Harris) and Billy (played by Marteen). These guys are just there for toying at Corey to make him even more miserable for again, being an outcast from the past accident. I find them to be either forgettable or passable. But I like to give an interesting fact, from what I heard, Terry Tramer is the grandson of Ben Tramer, you know, an unseen man who’s meant to have a going out with Laurie and the late Annie Brackett since a school dance in 1978 Halloween, but in Halloween trilogy, it is said that Ben Tramer is considered dead. Man, if only Ben Tramer showing up to save the trilogy for reuniting Lindsey and maybe even pointing at Corey as imposter than being imposter like in Halloween 2.

As for the rest of the casts, they’re just there for either plot purpose or being Corey’s dead meat, there’s Frank Hawkins (reprised by Will Patton) who’s the deputy who’s always looking at Laurie to get along, Lindsey Wallace (reprised by Kyle Richards) who used to be babysat back in 78 and lucky survivor in 2018, Doug Mulaney (played by Jesse C. Boyd) who’s Allyson’s ex for his desperate to get back together, but got rejected (if only he could’ve saved her from Corey) and Willy the kid (played by King Keraun) who’s a DJ host of his local radio which he’s actually fun to hear him.

The characters, while its nice for not being idiotic from last time, but its a mixed bag that some characters are nice, but some are mediocre for being a replacement over The Shape.

And now for my final opinion of this movie.

Overall, Halloween Ends is a pretty average third and final installment of the trilogy.

While its nice to having Strode and Nelson making more appearance, the presentation looks nice and of course, who doesn’t like the bloodiest kills?

But everything fell flat quickly from mediocre story, which while it sound good, but poorly executed, The Shape is very minimal comparing to the overly focus of Corey, some characters are forgettable, disappointing removal of Myers’s house and I forgot to mentioning the climatic final battle between Laurie and The Shape wouldn’t be until the third act, which the trailers are nothing but overhyped that it wouldn’t be until after hour in.

This is another disappointing installment of the trilogy, especially in a pretty bad way to put the end of this trilogy. But its not as stupid as Kills, but its nowhere better than 2018. This is another one of those you gotta watch once if you like it or not, but for me, I’d say don’t bother, its not in a nice way to end the trilogy, its just pretty average at best.

And for that reason, im gonna give this one a 5/10.

So, what do we have learned about Green’s Halloween trilogy? Well, it was… Bellow average at best, its like the horror version of Star Wars sequel trilogy, it started good with 2018 much like The Force Awakens, but then the trilogy started to crash and burn with Kills and Ends. The 2018 one is good to have it back with pretty good kills, a welcome return of Laurie, a struggle of family, having the female version of The Three Musketeers against Michael Myers (or as Jamie liked to call three main ladies, Hallo-Women), as well as having some nicely Easter Eggs. Kills felt flat very quickly with all the characters are either useless or a complete idiots dealing with The Shape, but at least the kills are pretty cool and bloodiest, and Ends is a disappointing way to concluding the trilogy with ripped the plot over Roy Burns as Fake Jason. So in the end, I think I stick to 2018 one while Kills and Ends belongs to “Evil(s) Dies Tonight!”

Anyway, so this ends of my movie review, if you guys have your opinion or any suggestions, let me know at comment bellow and support me on KO-FI.com/blackevil.

Thanks for reading, and im Anthony, signing out and Happy Halloween.