Common Sense Media Review
By Kat Halstead
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Horror sequel has gory violence, strong language, sex.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 17+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers
What's the Story?
In HALLOWEEN: THE CURSE OF MICHAEL MYERS, the masked killer returns to Haddonfield six years after he last terrorized the residents, in search of his niece Jamie (J.C. Brandy) and her newborn child. With a shadowy cult in hot pursuit, and a now grown-up Tommy Doyle (Paul Rudd) obsessed with the attacker he survived as a child, there are multiple forces at play this time around. Can Tommy work together with neighbor Kara Strode (Marianne Hagan), and psychiatrist Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasence) to protect the child and put a stop to the killings once and for all?
Is It Any Good?
The sixth chapter of this slasher franchise gets a little lost in its cults and runes, forgetting that evil is most terrifying when it's unexplained. But in Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers fans will appreciate some gory kills and the final performance from franchise legend Pleasance. This time around, a main character from previous films is disposed of unexpectedly quickly -- though with gruesome flair -- and a child from the original movie returns as adult Tommy Doyle (a creepy, unhinged Rudd in one of his first feature film roles). Well cast to look uncannily like Jamie Lee Curtis in the early films, Hagan plays a similarly bookish character, studying cognitive therapy and emotional disorders -- perhaps ironically, given she's about to become the target of a serial killer escaped from a sanitarium. Pleasance offers some humor as Loomis in the form of a few knowing one-liners about not being dead yet, made all the more impactful given the actor died before the movie was released. With the return of his character and Tommy, there was plenty to work with here without spiraling quite so far into the occult, which is what really lets the movie down. While not the worst of the series, it's unsurprising that the installment that followed three years later brought back Curtis to take a much stronger stab at getting the series back on track.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the levels of violence in Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers. Is a certain level of violence expected in a film like this? Can you think of horror films where little violence is shown? How do they compare? Does exposure to violent media desensitize kids to violence?
Talk about some of the language used. Did it seem necessary or excessive? What did it contribute to the movie?
How did the film portray sex? Was it affectionate? Respectful? Parents, talk to your teens about your own values regarding sex and relationships.
This is the sixth movie in the franchise. Have you seen other films in the series? If so, how do they compare? How do you feel about franchises spawning multiple sequels? Can you think of examples that have done so well or ones that have been received badly?
Movie Details
- In theaters : September 29, 1995
- On DVD or streaming : October 10, 2000
- Cast : Donald Pleasence , Paul Rudd , Marianne Hagan
- Director : Joe Chappelle
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Writer(s)
- Studio : Dimension Films
- Genre : Horror
- Run time : 87 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : strong horror violence, and some sexuality
- Last updated : February 15, 2024
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