Just when you thought the Halloween series had (somewhat) recovered from the wretched fifth and sixth films, there it is again, in yet another by-the-numbers body countdown. The only thing horrific about Halloween: Resurrection is how horrifically boring it is.

What makes horror scary is not what happens but what might happen. Halloween: Resurrection is so unswervingly loyal to the slasher movie formula that there's no "might" about it: immediately upon the introduction of a new character, we know precisely whether that character will live or not. The movie doesn't even bother to try to generate any suspense. Michael's there, Michael kills.

The thing is, it's not hard to look at this -- or any number of other slasher flicks -- and figure out what would make this exciting. This movie dramatically improves once the endless parade of co-stars is dispatched, leaving The One Who Lives. Only then, when someone is allowed to actually put up a defense, does the film dally with actual creativity and even a little suspense. Unfortunately it's too little, much too late.