Trick R Treat mixes 4 (5 if you count the short intro) intertwined Halloween themed tales into one bigger story taking place in the same little town. It feels like some kind of cross between the Twilight Zone, comic books and Goosebumps. It's more like small fantastical short stories with horror elements than outright horror. For a while, I thought it would be perfect as a scary children movie (several parts involve kids) but there's a bit of profanity, some flash of naked breasts and a couple bloodier parts but rather modest compared to what we're now used to. As it is, it would be better for teens and adults who still like Halloween as it does capture its fun spirit. The first story (not counting the intro) starring a principal and an obnoxious kid was quite amusing with a neat surprise ending. The actor playing the principal was just wonderful. The second story is a must-see for fans of True Blood as Anna Paquin plays a shy young woman dressed as little red riding hood being prodded by her sister and friends into hooking up with someone for a party. Let's just say she might not meet a normal guy in those streets. It was fun, surprising and the sexiest tale of the bunch.
The story with the most Halloween vibe involves a bunch of kids trick or treating and then going to a place where the Halloween school bus massacre occurred. I loved the cinematography and the characterization of the kids (especially the little witch) although like the rest of the stories it wasn't really scary. The last story involves your old cranky mean type who hates Halloween getting a lesson from the little scarecrow-head guy from the cover appearing throughout the film. It's probably the weakest tale although the ending makes up for it. As a matter of fact, several characters pop in and out of other stories which was a neat well-implemented idea. My main criticism, and a minor one at that, would be that some of the masks for the more supernatural creatures looked a bit fake but I suppose it could have been worse with computer imagery. I think Trick R Treat is a very good choice for Halloween viewing or with candies after Halloween. You've got lots of Christmas themed movies each year, Halloween movies that are fun, enjoyable and not too extreme or serious are a much rarer treat.
Rating: 7 out of 10
The story with the most Halloween vibe involves a bunch of kids trick or treating and then going to a place where the Halloween school bus massacre occurred. I loved the cinematography and the characterization of the kids (especially the little witch) although like the rest of the stories it wasn't really scary. The last story involves your old cranky mean type who hates Halloween getting a lesson from the little scarecrow-head guy from the cover appearing throughout the film. It's probably the weakest tale although the ending makes up for it. As a matter of fact, several characters pop in and out of other stories which was a neat well-implemented idea. My main criticism, and a minor one at that, would be that some of the masks for the more supernatural creatures looked a bit fake but I suppose it could have been worse with computer imagery. I think Trick R Treat is a very good choice for Halloween viewing or with candies after Halloween. You've got lots of Christmas themed movies each year, Halloween movies that are fun, enjoyable and not too extreme or serious are a much rarer treat.
Rating: 7 out of 10