Halloween

This is far from the first time Curtis (“True Lies,” “A Fish Called Wanda”) has appeared in a “Halloween” sequel — most recently, she was a player in “H2O” — but, again, none of those events happened as far as we are to be concerned.

The jack-o-lanterns that can be seen in myriad frames early in this “Halloween” make clear what holiday is right around the corner.

“Everyone in my family turns into a nutcase this time of year,” says Laurie’s granddaughter, Allyson (newcomer Andi Matichak).

None more so than Laurie, who has spent her last four decades planning for an eventual reunion with Michael, in fact praying for the day she would come into contact with him to end his miserable life. Among the features of her house is a bunker below her kitchen packed with survival necessities and a small arsenal.

Her obsession with Michael has come with a cost, however. Her daughter Karen was taken from her when Laurie was found to be an unfit mother. As an adult, Karen (Judy Greer of “Jurassic World” and “AntMan) has an uneasy relationship with her mother, complicated by the fact her husband, Ray (Toby Huss of AMC’s excellent “Halt and Catch Fire”), is appropriately wary of Laurie.

“Halloween” begins with a pair of investigative podcasters, Dana (Rhian Rees) and Aaron (Jefferson Hall), visiting the facility where Michael has spent four decades, most recently under the care of a psychiatrist, Dr. Sartain (Haluk Bilginer), obsessed with him. Approaching Michael from behind, Aaron pulls out the mask Michael donned on that Halloween night so many years ago. While the other restrained crazies around him go nuts, Michael stays still, refusing to even turn around to look at the artifact.

“Say something!” Aaron demands uselessly.

Conveniently for the purposes of having a story to tell, Michael is being transferred to a new joint. So it’s just a shock when, on this very foggy night, a bus accident frees him, allowing Michael eventually to return to Haddonfield, mask and all.

Along with Laurie and Sartain, the town’s Officer Hawkins (Will Patton, “Armageddon,” “Remember the Titans”) — who, we are told, was around for that original miserable night — is quite intent on taking down Michael.

As the silent Michael walks the streets on Halloween night, unnoticed on this night of trick-ortreating — at least until he starts extinguishing lives via blunt-force trauma or graphic stabbing — Hawkins and Laurie each patrol the streets listening to the police scanner for clues as to his whereabouts.

This all climaxes, of course, with an extended sequence at Laurie’s home, with some of the key players still breathing. As a viewer, you can’t help but be frustrated by the fact that, despite years of planning and a clear major financial investment on the part of Laurie, she seems at least somewhat unprepared for this confrontation. (Despite owning all kinds of weaponry, she apparently never bought any infrared tech, leaving her to wander around the creepy, old place with a flashlight.) Well, whatever. This, ultimately, is a “Halloween” movie, and writers David Gordon Green (“Stronger”), Danny McBride (HBO’s “Eastbound & Down”) and Jeff Fradley (HBO’s “Vice Principals”) seem most intent on delivering for longtime fans of the franchise. That probably helps to explain why you won’t find the type of humor you expect from McBride, a fairly prolific actor with a penchant for playing outrageously larger-than-life characters. The tone is appropriately dreadful the whole time.

The only real decision by the trio to be questioned is the inclusion of so many secondary characters instead of an even greater focus on Laurie. There’s at least the mildly interesting angle of a woman still suffering from a long-ago traumatic experience, and it could have been more deeply explored.

Green also directs, competently but in unspectacular fashion. He delivers some gasps and some gore, but, at least to this non-hard-core viewer, the film is rarely engrossing.

This new “Halloween” dots its Is and slashes its Ts, offers a mild surprise along the way, as well as a decent performance from Curtis, who, like Carpenter, is listed as an executive producer. The guess here is for lovers of the original, at least, that will be enough.