Parents' Guide to Halloween II

After the success of the original movie, this sequel had a lot to live up to. Although Halloween II retains many of the characters and picks up exactly where the first movie left off, it never quite hits the same notes—despite the familiar, now iconic score. Curtis was the famous "final girl" in the 1978 classic, and she returns here to the role of Laurie. But the film makes the mistake of confining her to a hospital bed for most of the runtime. Instead of the resourceful horror icon she was in the first film, she's often left hopeless and helpless here. But in the scenes where she does step into action, that classic Scream Queen presence shines through and Curtis holds the audience's attention with every move. This time around, though, it's almost as though Pleasance's Dr. Loomis—who went on to become a fan favorite—is the central character. He's the one fighting against others' disbelief, putting himself in danger, and making heroic, grand gestures. The hospital setting is bleak and claustrophobic, allowing for some enjoyably gory kills, and the threatening presence of Myers is still undeniably powerful. The movie also leans into the Celtic/Druid references that would take the franchise in an odd direction in the third film, but here it's just a sideline in what is a slightly disappointing but still solid second installment in one of the most iconic horror franchises in movie history.