For critics and non-fans of horror, remakes are easy to criticize and harass. Rob Zombie’s "Halloween," Marcus Nispel’s "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," and Andrew Douglas’s "The Amityville Horror," they have all become victims of the critics. They have all created box-office success, but does it mean they were necessarily good? I must say that I had high hopes for Marcus Nispel’s re-imagining of the all-time classic "Friday the 13th," and I was ready to take on Jason again. Get ready… This gory, fun version of Jason’s everlasting reign of terror is well worth every penny. It’s exactly the opposite of what its title suggests. Consider this reboot of the franchise extremely lucky.
So, in comes the big question: Is this really a remake of the classic 1980 horror film? Actually, no. It’s more of an homage to the original film and its 3 sequels. The plot is different, Mrs. Voorhees is only in the movie for a short 2 to 3 minutes, and Camp Crystal Lake has been changed completely. Let’s go into the plot, huh? It’s been nearly a month, and Clay goes to Crystal Lake to search for his missing sister Whitney. Meanwhile, a group of fun-loving teens head down to a good friend’s summer home for some drinking games, sex, drug use, topless waterskiing, and more. There’s Trent, Jenna, Chewie, Laurence, Chelsea, Nolan, and Bree. What Clay and the others don’t know is that an abandoned piece of land called Camp Crystal Lake is right around the corner, and today is Friday the 13th. And an incredibly strong, terrifying, angry, hockey-masked murderer named Jason Voorhees is not happy with his unwelcome guests. With blood-stained weapons and a sharp intelligence, Jason hunts down the prey and kills them one by one. If any of them want to live past this dreadful night, then they will have to use every possibility of stopping Jason dead in his tracks, and get the hell out of Camp Crystal Lake for good.
This "Friday the 13th" is a true homage to the scariest movies of the series: Parts I, II, III, and IV(The Final Chapter). The kills are gory and thrilling, bringing us back to the good old days, and there’s plenty of the expected sex and female nudity. Everyone knows that if you don’t have the boobs, a slasher movie’s going to suck. Thankfully, this film has healthy doses of skin.
What’s really pissed me off is "Friday the 13th’s" negative reviews. People have been calling it trash, junk, and a dud. First of all, I have something to say to the critics: Stop comparing it to the original and other current horror remakes! And who are they to criticize the movie’s nudity and violence when that’s exactly what the original had, and that turned out to be a classic! Critics have been against the series since 1980. Ever since the original "Friday" was released, they have butchered it with harsh criticism and hatred. So, my advice to the critics: If you don’t like the original "Friday," then you shouldn’t be so rude about this reboot. Don’t see it. It’s entertainment strictly for the fans. Of course, critics have to always spend their money to review any movie out there. And in the end, they still call it “junk.” So, critics, you should be happy that this movie actually tried to be good, and wasn’t the garbage that "Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning," "Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday," "Jason X" or "Halloween III: Season of the Witch" was.
And, I also have something to say to those who think that "Friday" was bad. I’m not going to bash you like I did with the critics. Critics piss me off more than you guys, so I’ll give you some friendly advice. If you’re going to go into "Friday the 13th," you need to have a sharp knowledge of what it is. If you’re a fan, I don’t think that you should expect something like "Freddy vs. Jason" or a specific "Friday" sequel. You need to know that this is a new, and different, kind of Jason. He’s stronger, and not a “supernatural zombie,” as "Friday" star Amanda Righetti describes him. If you go into "Friday the 13th" with those notions, then you should have no problem sitting back and enjoying it for what it is.
As much as I loved the entire movie, personally, my favorite part of "Friday the 13th" is the first 20 minutes, one of the coolest horror openings in history. This opening plays like the original’s classic sequel, starting off with a bunch of drunk, sex-crazed teenagers being told the story of how Mama Voorhees got decapitated, and her son Jason, who drowned on Friday the 13th of 1957, returned from the dead to wreak havoc on Camp Crystal Lake, and he roams the camp to this day in search of intruders. You can probably guess what happens next. The beginning of the film is eerie, gory, and it’s no doubt that it’s scary. This is the best opening to a horror film since "When A Stranger Calls" in 1979.
Of course, the best character of Marcus Nispel’s "Friday the 13th" is its villain, our favorite Crystal Lake resident Jason Voorhees. Parts I, II, III, and IV highlighted the times when the murderer(or murderess) actually ran, was ruthless, and truly effective. Then, basically after Part IV, Jason was a slow, and campy, stalker. But, not here. Uh-uh, not here. Jason is a full-throttle, cold-blooded monster that does not take the time to catch up with the victims. He’s right there, in your face, and running after you with his large machete. Now, isn’t that a horror villain we can love? Also, this is possibly Jason at his creepiest, since the film portrays him as incredibly sadistic, making sure that anybody who crosses his path will die a slow, painful, and violent death.
One other thing "Friday" has going for it is a load of humor and horror movie references that only the most jaded genre fan can point out. The sex scenes in the movie had me laughing a lot because they were so over the top, and the drinking jokes were pretty funny. The comedy blends well with the carnage, and that is one of the things that is key for this reboot.
"Friday the 13th’s" murders are in the great spirit of the original’s, and pay tribute to makeup master Tom Savini’s great effects. Everybody in the film falls by Jason’s blade, axe, spear, you name it. And it’s done very well. Before I saw the movie, I thought that it would be gorier than any other Friday film I‘ve ever seen. But comparing to the original movie, it’s surprisingly not as gruesome. Yes, the movie is plenty gory, but the violence, in my opinion, could have gone farther. But in the end, it doesn’t need to be over the top. You need to have at least a few moments of suspense in order to make a good horror film, and the violence is toned down a little bit so the murders can feel realistic and scary. The makeup and special effects department on this movie make sure that the kills look real and fun. Those who have been devoted to the series might feel like they have seen these types of deaths before, but Brad Fuller, producer on the film, hoped that fans would get the stylish kills they remembered with just a touch of life, or newcomers to the series would see deaths that they have never seen before. Basically, the deaths are at the right tone, and there’s nothing wrong here.
Technically, the film’s setting looks terrific. When we are taken back to Camp Crystal Lake after so many years, we sit back in the film, and remember the greatness of Jason’s stalking grounds. Everything the original’s setting had is back on the screen again. I tell you, once you visit this Crystal Lake, you’ll have second thoughts about going to summer camp.
"Friday the 13th’s" characters aren’t completely smart, but that’s part of the fun of revisiting the genre. As a fan, an audience member is always going to yell out at the screen “Don’t do that!,” “Don’t go in there!,” or “Hey, look out! The killer’s right behind you!” Here, we still care for the characters on their way down Jason’s list of victims. Most of them will obviously wind up dying, and we’ll cheer Jason on. But there will always be certain characters that we want to live.
Time to break down a great cast. Jared Padalecki, Amanda Righetti, Danielle Panabaker, and Travis Van Winkle are our leading characters as Clay, Whitney, Jenna, and Trent. I just want to say that I really enjoy Righetti’s performance. She plays the helpless teen so well, and my God, can she scream! Others of the cast include: Aaron Yoo as Chewie, a likeable and funny stoner, Julianna Guill as Bree, the most interesting slutty horror chick on screen, Jonathan Sadowski as Wade, who gives a memorable performance, Ben Feldman as Richie(loved his death), Arlen Escarpeta as Lawrence(This is the token black guy some other horror flicks have. Only this time, you want him to live.), Willa Ford as Chelsea(the topless waterskiing murder is fantastic), and Nick Mennell as Mike. And genre fan Derek Mears plays Jason perfectly. He was just the right guy to play him since Kane Hodder took on the role. He understands this character, and he makes sure that everybody is still afraid of him. Physically and mentally, Mears is perfect in the role. A stellar cast, and a great Jason.
The script is well-written by Damien Shannon and Mark Swift, who wrote down the script for the horror crowd-pleaser "Freddy vs. Jason." Obviously, their script shows that they love and respect the horror genre, and want to get the audience to love this movie. They have created some characters that are funny and sympathetic as they hit Jason’s chopping board. As for Jason himself, Shannon and Swift have orchestrated a great new vision of him that audiences won’t forget.
Director Marcus Nispel, director of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre re-imagining, certainly knows how to set up "Friday the 13th" technically and cast-wise. He’s definitely a fan of the original movies to be sure, and wants the audience to get that craving to return to Camp Crystal Lake to join Jason in his horrifying trail of carnage again.
Some people will go into "Friday the 13th" very skeptical, and others will go into it with high expectations. Some fans will be disappointed while the other fans will have the time of their life. And to those who are completely new to the franchise and Jason legend, I think they’ll love it if they haven’t seen too many horror remakes. The audience is either going to love or hate this movie. But as a die-hard fan of the series, this "Friday" is definitely one to remember. Jason Voorhees is back, and he’s creepier, meaner, and smarter than ever! Now, it‘s time to quote those famous sounds. Ready? …Ch, ch, ch, ch. Ah, ah, ah, ah.
No comments:
Post a Comment