Halloween II picks up where the original Halloween leaves off. The instant the original leaves off. It continues the same story with the same characters and expands upon the same themes and plot details, and, consequently, the two films seem like natural halves of a single narrative. That was the first thing I admired about Halloween II.

Another thing I liked was that it had more of a story than the original did. It had more energy, too, a little more tension, and a less annoying arrangement of its musical score.

On the down side, Halloween II features needless gore, which the original wisely shied away from, and a gratuitous series of killings that appear to have been included just to rack up the body count rather than escalating the tension. And what's going on with this hospital that hardly has anyone in it?

A frustrating mix of pros and cons, Halloween II is a reasonably entertaining if sensationalistic member of its genre.