Ah, the mid-to-late 1990's... sort-of a rebirth of horror in a way. After all, the period from 1990 to about 1995 was wholly and decidedly a relatively murky period for the genre, with quality releases being very few and far between. Audiences were tiring of the holdover 80's slasher flicks and ho-hum ghost stories, with really only a handful of stand-out creep-shows to keep horror fans satiated. With so few quality-choices (notably the mini-series "It" from the book by Stephen King and the wonderful thriller "Candyman" from the stories of Clive Barker), it was no wonder that the early 90's were considered a "dead" period.

Then, "Scream" happened and changed everything. It proved that not only could horror be widely appealing at the hands of gifted writers and quality filmmakers, but also showed that the old tropes and clichés could be "hip" and "cool" again when handled with care and a degree of nostalgic love.

So, it should come as no shock that after the colossal misfire that was the previous film ("The Curse of Michael Myers"), the "Halloween" series got a new lease on life with a post-"Scream" sensibility in this 1998 release- "Halloween H20: Twenty Years Later." A minor degree of self-awareness, a focus on modern teenage and young adult culture and a fun blast from the past by way of original star Jamie Lee Curtis made the series relevant and modern in a way that both worked to re-invigorate interest and also pay homage to the series origins.

The film was lovingly crafted to serve as a book-end to the original, cleverly taking advantage of being released on the twentieth anniversary of the John Carpenter classic as part of it's schtick. It was built up as the "Halloween" to end all "Halloween's"... A "Halloween" for the modern era. A "Halloween" for the sharp and post-modern 90's crowd. And a "Halloween" that honored the long- beloved roots of the series.

Directed by Steve Miner, the film revolves around Jamie Lee Curtis' Laurie Strode, now living as a teacher under a false name. Still haunted by nightmares of her murderous sibling Michael Myers, Laurie is trying her hardest to move on. But when her brother comes calling, the stakes are set for a final and apocalyptic battle from which only one can emerge alive.

The success of the film really falls onto its clear adoration of the original and the desire to "evolve" and "complete" the story that it started in a new and fresh way. You can feel the love for that film oozing in virtually every scene here, with many subtle homages and call-backs. Yet it also builds and evolves the franchise in a way that previous films hadn't. Whereas prior sequels truly did feel like they were simply trying to re-create the magic of the original to increasingly diminishing results, "H20" actually has the guts to say "No, the best way to pay tribute to the origin of the series is to make homage and continue the story, but allow it to change with the times." A huge part of that is the result of that late-90's self-aware mindset popularized by other films, and I think it works wonders. There are numerous levels of subversion that make you second-guess where it's all leading, there's plenty of banter and humor that satisfies the audience, and it also makes the wise move to make all the characters likable... nobody here really has their own agenda as so many other slasher-sequels have done with their characters.

Miner's direction is strong, with a keen sense of scope, atmosphere and composition. He finds just the right balance between old- fashioned cinematography and 90's era aesthetics, giving the film a unique tone and visual palate that both compliments and contrasts with the Carpenter original.

Performances are uniformly strong for the material. Curtis is a joy in her returning role, giving Laurie a grand sense of pathos but also a drive to finally face her fears. Supporting roles by the likes of Josh Hartnett, Adam Arkin and even rapper LL Cool J round out a likable and believable cast. And there's no sore thumbs to be found. Also of note is voice-over artist Tom Kane, who perfectly re- creates the brilliant dialog of the late Donald Pleasance in a wonderful opening sequence. (Also, keep your eyes peeled for future superstar Joseph Gordon- Levitt in a small role in the opening sequence!)

Should I have to address any negatives, I would definitely have to dock some slight points for a frankly shaky first act, which does fall back on the old tropes and clichés a bit too much. It just feels contrary to the much stronger second and third acts of the film, and it doesn't do much to subvert expectations or built on the legacy of the series. I also take some slight issue with the film's at times break-neck pace... it's already a fairly short film, and it rushes a bit too much for everything to really set in.

Still, those flaws being stated, I can't help but feel that for my money, this is the best of the "Halloween" sequels. It built off of what came before, served as a loving tribute and also book-ended the series with what was at the time built up to be the final entry in the series. To me, the "Halloween" franchise is a trilogy- Carpenter's "Halloween", it's first sequel "Halloween II" and this film, "H20." Everything else to me is pure fan-fiction.

I give "Halloween H20: Twenty Years Later" a strong 8 out of 10 as a horror fan and in particular as a fan of the franchise. Definitely worth seeing. (It's follow-up "Resurrection"... not so much.)

This is the sequel we have been waiting for! After a little slump with Halloween 5, I think a lot of Halloween fans were worried that the Halloween franchise was going to be like the typical Friday the 13th series, that as the sequels went on the stories would just get worse and worse. Why is Halloween H20 different and better than the other sequels? Because they went back into their roots, most sequels loose touch with what the original movie was trying to produce and get into goofy characters. This movie delivers in perfect scares, the story is awesome, and we have Jamie Lee Curtis back! What more could we ask for? I do have to admit that there was a disappointment that they killed the original nurse from the first Halloween movie, but the way Michael did it was classic. This is my favorite Halloween sequel because Michael is back and he's scarier than ever. We have some new great actors like Josh Hartnett, Michelle Williams and even LLCoolJ was fun to have around, they were all great additions to our Halloween story.

The movie features the return of Laurie Strode, now revealed to be living under the assumed name "Keri Tate". As Tate, Laurie has a seemingly perfect life with an intelligent son and a boyfriend, a great career; however, Laurie is far from happy. The tragic events from 20 years previous still haunt her mind, and strongly take effect on her parental capabilities. To everyone, this is "just another Halloween," however Laurie still lives in constant fear. But this year is different. Marion Chambers and her neighbors are murdered by Michael after he steals a file on Laurie Strode. Michael leaves to find Laurie. To mark the 20th anniversary of the happenings of 1978, her brother, Michael Myers, appears, and starts killing off her co-workers and students one by one. And for the first time in two decades, they meet again. Laurie escapes, but chooses to go back to the school to challenge Michael in a fight to the death. She finds him and attempts killing him several times. But after all, this is Michael Myers, after several sequels you know it isn't going to be that easy.

Halloween H20 is a great sequel that is sure to give you good scares, laughs, and it keeps you interested. This is one of those rare movies that made me cover my eyes in terror, I know it sounds a little cheesy, but when Laurie is having a bad flash of Michael coming towards her and she keeps trying to close her eyes and say it's just a dream, but she opens them and he's still walking towards her, yikes! Also I absolutely LOVED the ending, this was a great closure to the series, even though sadly they created another sequel, I just have to forget about that one because this is the way they should just leave the Halloween franchise. So not only would I recommend this movie if you were looking to complete the Halloween series, but just watch it in general, this movie goes back to the basics and is just a great movie. It was a lot of fun to watch and see Michael terrorizing the new cast, even after 20 years he's still got the touch to even make us sympathize with him, ooooo, Michael, where will you take us next? Well, hopefully a much better sequel then what I had to put up with in 2002.

8/10

It's almost Halloween 1998, Langdon, Illinois. Dr. Marion Chambers's home is ransacked and the file on Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) is gone. Marion and a few neighborhood kids are soon killed by Michael Myers. In Summer Glen, California, Laurie is still haunted by what happened 20 years ago. Her new name is Keri Tate. She is now the principal of a private school where she works with boyfriend Will (Adam Arkin). She's a divorced mother to John Tate (Josh Hartnett) and overly protective of him during Halloween. Molly Cartwell (Michelle Williams) is his girlfriend. Charlie (Adam Hann-Byrd) and Sarah (Jodi Lyn O'Keefe) are his friends. Ronny Jones (LL Cool J) is the school security guard.

For fans of the original, this is a functional sequel. Jamie Lee Curtis is back as the best thing in the movie. Her character is scarred and interesting. The kids are alright. LL Cool J sticks out like a sore thumb. He's suppose to be the comic relief but he's ill-equipped. He makes this too cheesy. This could never live up to the original. Times have changed. They even have Scream 2 playing in the background. Still, Jamie Lee Curtis is as great as ever.