Friday the 13th

  If my count is correct, this movie is the twelfth screen appearance of Jason Voorhees.  For the uninformed out there, Jason Voorhees is a (thankfully) fictional character decked out in a hockey mask and armed with a machete. He relishes in murdering teenagers in the woods. His first appearance was in the 1980 film Friday the 13^th, and this 2009 edition does what none of the other eleven movies ever did. It starts fresh. This film constitutes a reboot of the franchise, although many previous elements remain.

Jason is trawling the woods around Camp Crystal Lake , the site where he drowned as a child. His drowning was because of the negligence of some thick-headed teenaged camp counselors. Now any young people in the woods are ripe targets for Jason’s bloodlust. His resurrection does not require an explanation. He is simply a silent killing machine.  

Slasher horror films are a dime a dozen these days. The consistent formula of teens drinking, smoking weed, and having sex as a prelude to their dismemberment is a requirement in contemporary horror cinema, arching back a few decades. The frisky teens always bleed for their sins. Jason does an excellent job in expediting this process.

The film’s plot is largely non-existent. A concerned brother searches for his missing sister in the woods, and crosses paths with a bunch of teens, as well as ol’ Hockey Mask himself, Jason Voorhees.

They don't make walls like they used to!

The performances in this film are unimpressive, but largely above par. It’s difficult to get attached to characters when you know they will likely get chopped to bits, but it is still fun to watch these figures interact with one another and run around screaming, all while being trapped within the framework of Jason’s evil plans. They’re doomed, so why not sit back and take in the spectacle?

The film is nowhere near as gory as I expected. Murders are very much rushed, and the camera does not linger too long. Gratuitous nudity and sex scenes will drive pubescent boys to theatres in droves, but do not contribute to the quality of the film. Just a horror tradition refusing to die.

Look out behind you!

The new Friday the 13^th will leave experienced horror fans moderately satisfied, and will give the uninitiated a good jolt. Some of the action is inventive, while other scenes present very basic sequences of sharp objects hurting people while being wielded by the hands of a masked man. Either way you cut it (pun intended), this is a horror movie that will get audiences' hearts pumping.

Rating: 7/10
Last Updated: Feb 5, 2012 - 22:31
Join the discussion:

Join the discussion:

Comments

Michael Bay?!?!

I never thought I would see the day where a movie with Michael Bay in the crew would be deserving of anything over a fail! (Transformers is an exception for two reasons. One, every rule has an exception. Two, Transformers was a big part of my childhood, and who does not enjoy a hit of nostalgia every now and then?)
As much as this hardens my heart to say, this movie sounds like it could be quite a bit of fun.

#1 - Nathan Schwartz - 02/12/2009 - 09:58

Stupid fun

It's definitely stupid fun. The film's script has a clever twist which I really want to share.

SPOILERS:


A cast of characters is introduced, and they all seem to get picked off by Jason very early on, which is shocking since at that point the movie is only 15-20 minutes in! And then the title appears on screen and the cast gets a reboot, starting fresh! It was really quite clever because it totally played with my expectations in a unique way.

If you're tired of 'trap' movies like the Saw series, and just want to see silly kids get chopped up by a man in a mask, this is the way to go. It's back to basics.

#2 - Avi - 02/12/2009 - 15:14