Halloween V: The Revenge Of Michael Myers

Blu-ray

Anchor Bay

Certificate 18

Extras: Two Audio Commentaries, Behind The Scenes Feature, Promotional Featurette, Trailer.

Ignored by many at the time of its original release, the stylish but hollow Halloween V: The Revenge Of Michael Myers finally gets the High-Definition treatment fans of the franchise have been waiting for. But is the film worthy of a shiny new print?

It's one year after the events of Halloween 4, and both Michael and Jamie have survived the horrors of the previous year’s "festivities". Jamie is still having nightmares about her pathological uncle and, to further complicate matters, has realised she shares a telepathic bond with him, a revelation which Dr. Loomis decides to use to his advantage in tracking the seemingly unstoppable killer.

Halloween 5 signalled the end of the series for me as it began to inject new ideas that just didn't fit into the original premise. This could have been a great instalment after the rather impressive Part 4 but the script lets the film down. The telepathic link is pretty lame but the main offender here is a new character who, dressed in steel tipped cowboy boots, walks in and out of scenes without dialogue but is supposed to be here to drive the narrative. Shame he destroys the tone of the film and adds nothing except more questions and a dodgy tattoo. The supporting cast are given little to do but wait to be bumped off but they do meet inventive, very violent and superbly realised deaths.

Returning cast members Danielle Harris and Donald Pleasence are back in their respected roles of Jamie and Doctor Loomis and director Dominique Othenin-Girard adds a certain European charm to the movie, but this was the last one for a few years and gave the franchise an ending that posed more questions than answering them which split the fans right down the middle.

The main selling point here is the transfer which is very impressive. I've never see the film as sharp, all other releases have been soft around the edges and darker scenes, such as the barn sequence now has detail in the darkness.

The extras include an insightful commentary from actor Don Shanks (he plays Michael in this one) and Author Justin Beaham plus a fun commentary from Director Dominique Othenin-Girard and actors Danielle Harris and Jeffrey Landham, a location short On Set - Halloween 5 takes a rough, quick look behind the production of the film, Halloween 5 Original Promo is a five minute piece that does its best to inject some eeriness to the piece. The extras package is rounded off with the original theatrical trailer.

Halloween V: The Revenge Of Michael Myers is now available on the Blu-ray format thanks to Anchor Bay.