After a cool "pumpkin carving" credits sequence this shows us that Michael Myers really wasn't killed at the end of part four and escaped near death only to be nursed back to health by a hermit in his rickety shack. It's a year later and Michael continues his quest to eliminate his young neice (a returning Danielle Harris, who's quite good) killing anyone who gets in the way while a off-kilter Loomis (Donald Pleasance, given a lot of claptrap dialogue to work with) continues to warn everyone of the danger.

With no real deaths for about the first third the script works at character development and is a bit better written than most sequels but eventually gets to be a little dull going with a mid-section that feels a bit shoddy before getting rolling again with a decent finale (that has a laundry chute moment that works well).

Loses points for having two comic relief cops (we know this because the soundtrack makes "wacky" noises when they're on camera) and an underdeveloped "mystery man in black" sub-plot (though this would be lamely explained in the next entry).

Overall this is a bearable follow-up that's directed competently, is well enough acted and has a couple of okay dispatches (I like the cool "garden fork" moment); but suffers from a unfocused script and poor sequel set-up at the end.

Followed by Halloween:The Curse Of Michael Myers.

Directed By: Dominique Othenin-Girard.
Written By: Shem Bitterman, Michael Jacobs, Dominique Othenin-Girard.

Starring: Donald Pleasance, Danielle Harris, Ellie Cornell, Beau Starr.