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Jamie Lee Curtis, Adam Arkin, Josh Hartnett, Michelle Williams, Adam Hann-Byrd ... see more see more... , Jodi Lyn O'Keefe , Janet Leigh , LL Cool J , Joseph Gordon-Levitt , Nancy Stephens , Branden Williams , Chris Durand , Beau Billingslea , Matt Winston , Larisa Miller , Emmalee Thompson , Tom Kane

Laurie Strode, now the dean of a Northern California private school with an assumed name, must battle the Shape one last time and now the life of her own son hangs in the balance.

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57% liked it

160,920 ratings

Critics

53% liked it

55 critics

R, 1 hr. 25 min.

Directed by: Steve Miner

Release Date: July 27, 1998

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DVD Release Date: October 19, 1999

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Stats: 4,606 reviews

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Halloween H2O Halloween H2O Halloween H2O halloween H20: 20 years later Halloween H2O Halloween H2O Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998) Halloween H2O halloween h20 jamie lee curtis and michael myers Halloween H2O
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Flixster Reviews (4,606)

  • jmanard52
    May 9, 2008
    jmanard52
    Why do they keep making these?
  • FilmFanatik
    February 3, 2012
    FilmFanatik
    Now we come to a horror series that, in my opinion, long overstayed its welcome in the sequel and remake department. Halloween H20: 20 Years Later is probably one of the best attempts at a true sequel while at the same time being entertaining in and of itself. This time around, w... read moree get to know Laurie Strode (who has been in hiding) and her son, spending time in their lives before the eventual build-up to the clash between Laurie and Michael. Unfortunately, this film feels very tired and doesn't really bring anything new to the table. Despite bringing back Michael's sister, it feels weak. Michael isn't all that interesting in this one either and, to be fair, hasn't really been so since the original film. This is also yet another retroactive sequel that takes place after the events of the first two films and ignores sequels 4-6. This could have been a great opportunity to tie together the contuinity of the series for a change, but they screwed the pooch on that and made the selling point and ultimate focus of the film the battle between Laurie and Michael. The murders aren't all that interesting, the score is pretty lame and the overall length of the movie feels much shorter than it actually is. It's not too bad, but it could have benefitted from a little more bloodshed, a bit more of a build-up, a better actor to play Michael and a better continuity for the series as a whole. I have a feeling that someone should have taken this away from Moustapha Akkad early on and this series wouldn't have been such a mess, but oh well. It's ok for what it is, but like most of these movies, it could've been better.
  • moonrivers
    October 26, 2011
    moonrivers
    Michael Myers is dead, right? Crazy psycho murdering sociopath ... they killed him in the last one, right? It's been 20 years! Scream queen Jaime Lee returns to scream, er, bloody murder again (her mom, Janet Lee, famous for some other obscure scream rite of passage, along for... read more the ride) and it is ever so ... that guy is dead, right?
  • fb729949618
    October 26, 2011
    fb729949618
    Gave the series a breathe of some fresh air, but still fell short due to its cheesiness.
  • blkbomb
    October 4, 2011
    blkbomb
    John: If you want to stay handcuffed to your dead brother, that's fine. But your not dragging me along. Not anymore. 

    "Blood is thicker than Water."

    Halloween H2O takes place 20 years after the events that occurred in the first two films. Laurie Strode has left Illinois, change... read mored her name, had a son and is now running a private school in California. It's actually a fairly good sequel considering it is... what, the 7th; I think. It has a pretty good opening with a cool cameo from a very young Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Josh Hartnett makes his film debut, as many actors do, in a slasher. He plays John, the son of Laurie, basically like he will play every role from there on out. 

    The movie is basically a balance between the extremely stupid and the pretty cool. Let's start with some of the stupid. LL Cool J as a security guard slash wannabe romantic writer. He's bad, like you'd expect. Then there's Michael, who doesn't look all that menacing and an ending that really was in no way satisfying. I see what they were trying to go for, but I didn't buy it. Then the cool. Janet Leigh makes an appearance in the film as Norma. It's cool to see her acting alongside her daughter in a sequel to a movie that was inspired by a movie she stared in 38 years before this movie. There's also a couple references to Psycho in the dialogue. Johns friend tells him he is going toned up living with his mom forever and running a motel in the middle of nowhere. 

    The movie is extremely short which normally isn't a bad quality for a slasher, but with this one I wish it had some more length in the middle. It has a cool start and a decent lead up, but the Michael Myers area felt rushed. They should have added about 10 minutes in there. 

    Overall though the movie was a lot better than I expected it to be. I liked that they just went back and followed up after the first two and threw out the last few. It's made by a less than original or talented director in Steve Minor. The guy made a few of the Friday the 13th's, so that should give you some sort of idea about him. So I was pleasantly surprised that I didn't hate this. It's not as good the second film and there's no reason comparing it to the original, but after the last two in the series; this was a pretty good addition.
  • TheDudeLebowski65
    September 17, 2011
    TheDudeLebowski65
    In my opinion, Halloween H20 should have been the third installment in the series; it's the truest sequel that keeps in the tradition of the first two. In this one we fast forward 20 years after the events of the first film, Laurie Strode is a teacher of a private school, living ... read moreunder an assumed name and living in fear of her brother's return. H20 has a teen horror vibe to it, but it works so well that you forget about it. It's definitely better than most of the teen Horror films released in that period and is simply a stunning, original film that returns to the roots of the first two Halloween films. The film is complimented by a good dose of scares and violence; this is the best of all the sequels. H20 should have been the end of a great franchise; however this "final" entry was not the last. They made the awful Halloween: Resurrection. H20 for me, at least will always be seen as THE final chapter in the Halloween saga. The idea behind this film is very engaging. I really enjoyed Jamie Lee Curtis in this film. Also I really enjoyed the fact that Steve Miner (director of Friday The 13th, 2, 3) directed this. Halloween H20 is a terrific, underrated film that really should get more praise. Halloween H20 is for me, at least the real end to the saga. Watch it, and decide for yourself. This is a good film that shouldn't get rejected by fans of the series. If you ask me, Halloween: Resurrection is the one to criticize.
  • stevenecarrier
    April 14, 2011
    stevenecarrier
    "Halloween: H20 - 20 Years Later" is the true part 3 to the Michael Myers saga. The many films to feature the character (they number 10 in total) are mostly nonsense, but at least this picture actually tries to accomplish something. Brining back Laurie (a good Jamie Lee Curtis) i... read morento the mix was the correct thing to do. In fact, they even make the character believable. I like everything they did with the story here but unfortunately it's far too little. The film barely runs 80 minutes rendering the interesting aspects of the story vague. But against it's own sabotage it strangely succeeds. It may not be deep but it's brisk and fun and it's nice to see a conclusion to the Michael and Laurie story. (Ignore every wretched sequel besides this one.)
  • cosmo313
    August 23, 2010
    cosmo313
    One of the best sequels in the series, and one of the only ones that justifies existing.

    If I had my way, there only would have been one film- the first. If I really had my way, It would be the first two, but with the second one being slightly better than it is. If I had total... read more control it would just be the first two, and this, with all of them being brilliant pieces of entertaining art.

    SInce none of that is possible, I'll just pretend like it's true. This is a good sequel, and it does a lot of things right. It wisely ignores part 3-6, delivers tons of fan service, has a satisfying premise, and ends on a perfect note. Why the hell a sequel came after this is beyond me. That said sequel ruined the perfect ending to this one is just abysmal.

    The plotting and script aren't great, and this definitely caters to a contemporary audience, but the performances are pretty good, I like some of the kills, and yeah, the fina lshowdown is just awesome.

    I like the in-jokes too, but that's just because I'm a film nerd (and proud).
  • creepfreak
    August 10, 2010
    creepfreak
    Halloween H20 is my fifth favorite in the series. It's a very brutal entry (that leg scene made me cringe, and the ice skate in the face...priceless!). Kevin Williamson (writer of Scream) produced this (and although he didn't write it), it still had a "Scream" like quality to it.... read more It was during the re-birth of teen horror when this was released, and remains one of the best teen slashers of it's time (Scream being the granddaddy of teen horror). Halloween H20 is both creepy and violent. It's almost just as violent as The Curse of Michael Myers. H20 isn't heavy on atmosphere, and it doesn't quite catch the "Halloween-y" feel like it's previous entries (other than part 5), but it still manages to still up many chills, has good action, and a clever script followed by some great performances. I didn't like Michael Myer's mask in this one, it looked like he was sort of goofy. But when it came to kills he was certainly unforgiving, which sort of made up for it. H20 is the second well best acted in series (the original being the best). It also has a pretty good soundtrack ("What's This Life For" by Creed is one of the movie's most memorable songs). If you grew up during the "Scream" days then I'm sure you remember how fun this movie was. Still, it's a great film and shouldn't be missed. Has a great return for Jamie Lee Curtis (Laurie Strode).

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  • TheGame90
    June 19, 2010
    TheGame90
    After Halloween 6...this was just a relief. This is a more modern version of Halloween...but not in any way the way Halloween 6 was modern. And there was a epic first face-off between Michael and Laurie. It will be fun to see how Michael will be able to get his head back in the g... read moreame for Resurrection...(Get it?....Head)

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Critic Reviews

Paul Tatara
November 15, 2002
Paul Tatara, CNN.com

I'm currently stuck watching the revival of a movie form that appalled me the first time around, then disappeared from view after a torrent of thoughtless re-workings that resembled bloody tape loops. Full Review

Rick Groen
April 12, 2002
Rick Groen, Globe and Mail

...Steve Miner is no Carpenter. Full Review

Kevin Thomas
February 21, 2001
Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times

Halloween: H20 is as stylish and scary as it is ultra-violent. It brings back a stunning Jamie Lee Curtis in the role that made her a star and it's a work of superior craftsmanship in all aspects. Full Review

James Berardinelli
January 1, 2000
James Berardinelli, ReelViews

Now that they have produced something vaguely enjoyable, hopefully the film makers will let the series rest in peace. Full Review

Bob Graham
January 1, 2000
Bob Graham, San Francisco Chronicle

The scary slasher-movie genre has been ratcheted up several notches with the release today of Halloween: H20. Full Review

Roger Ebert
January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

I imagined Miss Leigh telling her friends, 'They wanted me to do a cameo in the remake of Psycho, but I said, hell, I'd do Halloween: H20 before I'd lower myself to that.' Full Review

Lawrence Van Gelder
January 1, 2000
Lawrence Van Gelder, New York Times

...the throwaway jokes are few and far between, and after a pre-title sequence reintroduces Michael and shows just how far up suspense and thrills can be ratcheted, Halloween H20 declines into the rou... Full Review

Susan Stark
January 1, 2000
Susan Stark, Detroit News

...the film is as predictable as all the other slasher flicks that followed Halloween. Full Review

David Nusair
March 9, 2011
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews

Unquestionably the best of the Halloween followups... Full Review

Tim Brayton
August 24, 2008
Tim Brayton, Antagony & Ecstasy

It's somewhere around minute 58 - that's in a film that runs 80 minutes before credits, folks - before anything particularly interesting happens. Full Review

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Facts

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    • Norma Watson: Oh. Miss Tate. I didn't mean to make you jump. It's Halloween. I guess everyone's entitled to one good scare.
    • Laurie Strode: I've had my share.
    • Jimmy Howell: Are you coming?
    • Tony Allegre: Nah, l-l better stay here and protect her.
    • Jimmy Howell: Oh-ho ! Right, dude. Good.
    • Sarah Wainthrope: Oh, it's so lame. No, no, no. It's worse. I, I went there two summers ago with my family. Loathsome! No, it's worse. It'll come to me. Wretched! You know? Okay, think-think, campfires, s'mores - Repugnant! That's it, repugnant. I would rather have my eyes pierced.
    • Laurie Strode: (it's just her and Michael left at the school) - Michael!
    • Dr. Samuel 'Sam' Loomis: I met him fifteen years ago. I was told there was nothing left. No reason, no conscience, no understanding, even the most rudimentary sense of life or death, good or evil, right or wrong. I met this six-year-old child, with this blank, pale, emotionless face and the blackest eyes, the devil's eyes. I spent eight years trying to reach him, and then another seven trying to keep him locked up because I realized that what was living behind that boy's eyes was purely and simply, evil.
    • Will Brennan: (screaming about Michael Myers) - Who was that?!
    • Laurie Strode: My brother.
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Halloween H2O Trivia

  • In "Scream," the characters are watching "Halloween" on television. Which movie has its characters watching "Scream 2" on television?  Answer »
  • In that movie Josh Harnett make is first career aperance  Answer »
  • We all know Johnny Depp got his first starring role in Wes Craven's A Nightmae On Elm Street. But what other Hollywood Ladie's Man got his first ever role in the horror chain, Halloween in Halloween: H2O?  Answer »
  • In what Halloween movie does Jamie Lee Curtis make her return.  Answer »
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