Jason Voorhees is the most hardcore badass to slay his way through the slasher genre no arguments. First emerging as the killer in Friday the 13th part 2 and last seen carrying the head of his defeated foe in Freedy vs. Jason he’s stacked himself up a damn good body count with some of the most gloriously over the top killings (JASON X in particular).
But lets face it the Friday the 13th franchise was never that great and after part 3 has continued to deteriorate and stray from the original formula (Horny jocks and nerds getting hacked up at Camp Crystal), taking our ‘Hero’ away from his setting to New York, Space and Hell until finally pitting him against his other horror franchise heavyweight Freddy.
The only way forward for the hockey masked antagonist was a fresh start which was inevitable in this day and age of endless remakes, sequels and reboots. Made by Michael Bay’s production company Platinum Dunes and director of previous remake ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ Marcus Nispel, the new Friday the 13th is a more grounded and realistic film that still retains elements of the originals formula of Jocks, nerds and girls with enormous boobs, getting up to mischief and receiving grisly deaths.
Events of the first three films are all rolled into one, quickly establishing the backstory of Jason and his mothers demise before offering a sequence that plays like a mini movie establishing a pre hokey masked Jason and the events to follow.
Six weeks later and a fresh bath of vacating teenagers arrive at Camp Crystal for the weekend. Also arriving in town is Clay (Jared Padalecki), who has come to Crystal Lake searching for his sister Whitney who went missing six weeks ago and it’s not long before the hapless jocks, nerds bimbo’s and token black are targeted by the masked avenger.
The characterization was hardly ever a strong point to the Jason franchise and the filmmakers make no exception here with all of the usual trite cliches and antics that have covered countless times before. But who cares about the characterless cannon fodder.
This is Jason’s film and he’s better than ever. Derek Mears is a great replacement to Kane Hodder as the new Jason and this time he runs like a maniac, wields an impressive array of makeshift weapons and isn’t portrayed as just another mindless meat head but a hunter with survivalist skills using his wits to hack down his victims.
Apart from weak, predictable plotting and weak characterization, the one main drawback to the Friday the 13th is that the deaths are not as anarchic or wildly inventive as before whilst some of the violent elements have been toned down a little for more grounded and visceral thrills, but there’s no denying that this is a very enjoyable slasher film that gives Jason the screen justice he deserves and has all the right elements to please Jason fan’s whilst opening up interest to a new market. A follow up will be welcomed.
