My Turn: Friday the 13th (2009) review
If you’re a fan of an old school horror classic, odds are, one of these days you’re going to hear the inevitable. Your favorite horror flick is going to be remade, reimagined or whatever fancy term them will ultimately come up with next. That said, with a chorus of moans, groans, cheers and applause, it came to pass that our beloved Friday the 13th series would be getting the reboot treatment. When it was revealed shortly after that it would be helmed by the same team (Michael Bay’s Platinum Dunes and director Marcus Nispel) that brought forth the 2024 Texas Chainsaw relaunch, the reaction was much of the same. Though there were many more before it, TCM 2024 singlehandedly made the horror redux the thing to do. It divided fans like no other. You either loved it, or you hated it with very little gray area in between. Considering that I was a fan of TCM 2024, it’s easy to see which side of the spectrum I fell on upon hearing that the same team would be leading us back to Camp Crystal Lake.
Not long after these announcements were set in stone, we started hearing rumblings about their ideas and how they wanted their Jason flick to be at Platinum Dunes. After countless rumors, and a lot of non sense, we were finally told that this movie would be as follows; It will feature Jason. He will be wearing a hockey mask. He will be at Camp Crystal Lake. He will kill. Is that not all we ever want from a Friday the 13th flick? Well, the release date on Friday, February 13, 2024 has came to pass. Did the movie deliver?
Friday the 13th opens with a brief look at what led Jason to go off the deep end. We see a brief flashback of the decapitation of Ms. Pamela Voorhees that holds very true to, already dealt in the previous series, past of Camp Crystal Lake. The sequence is very quick and ends with the decapitation of Pamela and even a quick shot of Jason witnessing this event. Would it have been nice to see more of this sequence? Naturally. But this isn’t a rehash of the first Friday the 13th. This is Jason’s movie. We’re quickly flashed forward to present day where a group of young people are hiking through the woods near Camp Crystal Lake, looking for a patch of marijuana. As ridiculous as this may seem to some, you should try visiting the area that I grew up in where it’s pretty common for people to plant their very own pot stash in the woods. Then, when bagged head Jason shows up and offs this group of kids all before the open title even rolls across the screen, you won’t be thinking that Jason is “protecting his weed”.
We then meet the core group of kids. It’s like the movie hasn’t even started yet or that you’re getting a two for one Camp Crystal Lake Massacre! How can you go wrong? You get your typical Crystal Lake cast; The prick, The funny guy, the innocent strong girl, the slut, the “kinda” slut, the jock, and the occasional black guy. Naturally, they are there to party it up. This film is filled full of character cliches when it comes to Friday films. But if these cliches were not in place, it just wouldn’t feel the same. These types of characters are just as much of a staple to a Friday the 13th films as Jason Voorhees himself! Also wandering around the town of Crystal Lake is a character by the name of Clay. It seems Clay’s sister Whitney has gone missing in the area (You meet her during the opening sequences) and Clay is there to look for her. (A direct homage to Rob in part IV who is at Crystal Lake to get revenge for the death of his sister). With that said, Jason finds his hockey mask while stealing kerosene (how else do you think he powers his camp grounds?) from one of the redneck locals (whom he offs in the process) and it’s officially on! What you’re given at that point is a slightly more aggressive, modernized slasher that is, at the core, exactly what it should be. And that is a Friday the 13th film!
In this film, Jason simply does not play around. He’s very smart when it comes to surviving in the wilderness and protecting his land. It’s what he has done for 75 % of his life. He’s quick (much like the second through fourth films in the series) and aggressive. Jason is smart, but not too smart. The death of his mother remains his ultimate weakness and handicap. Derek Mears did an amazing job with the character. He was able to bring out the best qualities of some of the previous Jasons, all the while bringing a great deal of his own spin on things. The way he moved his head when he heard his name called was a truly great moment for me. Derek not only played Jason aggressively, he was also able to generate emotion through his movements. If Mears is at the helm from now on, we are in good hands.
The kills in the movie were pretty fun and in the vein of Friday the 13th. A lot of them were also homages to previous kills in the series with an all new twist to them. A few of the kills happen onscreen when you least expected them which made the movie fun. They were over the top and brutal which is something we’ve all come to expect.
Friday the 13th 2024 is definitely not for everyone. The dialog is often cheesey. The acting is choppy in places. But if you can show me a Friday the 13th film where this isn’t the case, then I must have missed one of the previous eleven films. If you have been a Friday the 13th fan from the beginning, you will likely enjoy it more than a non fan. It is assumed that the viewer already knows much of the backstory from the previous series. So we aren’t given an in depth explanation and that may throw some non fans off and leave them scratching their heads. The newbies to the series may also not be able to pick up on the homages to the previous films which, being a fan, was a very fun time. What will likely throw off a lot of those who are already hardcore fans are the shaky camera angles and close up shots. Also noticably absent is the Harry Manfredini score. They did keep the traditional “ki ki ki ki ma ma ma”, which would have incited a downright riot in it’s absence. But the rest of the music is quite off. That was the only real flaw for me when watching the movie.
This movie will do exactly what TCM 2024, and even Rob Zombie’s Halloween did when it comes to fans. They will be divided. And rightfully so. Remakes, reimagining’s, relaunches and the like are just not as easily digested by some as they are to others. But for this Jason fan, it was a fun ride and the best trip back to Crystal Lake since “The New Blood”. Jason will never die, and when the dust finally settles, I wouldn’t be surprised to see those who were initially not so fond of this movie, grow to accept it.
the best trip back since the final chapter.
Fantastic review! I couldn’t agree more, especially with all the positives. And thanks for pointing out why Jason stole the kerosene! That was the only thing that I wasn’t quite sure of.
Also, when was the “ki ki ki ma ma ma” sound heard? I don’t remember hearing it, except maybe when the title screen came up 20 minutes in……
Petar
Great review,
I loved the film except for the shaky camera… God I hate when they do that !
I’ll go a second time tomorrow.
Jason is back, and hopefully for a long time !
The ki ki kid ma ma ma happened a time or two during the movie. One notable time was when Jason first put his eyes on the mask.
Great review – sums up pretty much how I feel as well. Jason is back … and after the big bucks that are rolling in, Jason will be back, again!
Woohoo!
Good review Tony! One of the few level headed well rounded reviews Ive heard. I too believe like u said when the dust settle Friday fans will be more excepting of this movie
to all the haters that thought jason voorhees was dead….
LARGEST HORROR OPENING WEEKEND EVER: $45 MILLION!!!!!!!
Good review Tony, I just hope fans won\’t be divided over petty things.
I agree as well! The movie was fun, and Jason is back at Crystal Lake where he belongs! Best Friday the 13th movie in over 20 years.
i love it. jason is real and brutal again(mears is flawless). if you don’t like it, how can you call yourself a fan of the original fridays? the whole cast and crew could not have done a better job.
You know what I did miss the most about this movie and was hoping for was that there would be a character either molded from or a direct copy of Crazy Ralph. When I heard they were doing a “reimagining”(I hate the f**king word!)of the early sequels, I was hoping he wouldn’t be left out. Overall this movie wasn’t what I hoped for. I’ve seen a lot of comments out there that are slamming old school fans like myself for missing the point or expecting a shot for shot remake, whatever, I’m not stupid. It’s Friday the 13th. I wasn’t expecting Schindler’s List. However, there were certain things I was hoping for and this didnt have any of them. But I do agree with everyone that I did love Jason himself. I did like the smarter Rambo approach. I’m still pissed from my earlier post that the scene of Jason sharpening the machete was gone. WTF?? That was the coolest thing ever.
rob zombies halloween tho>?cmon..wether yr a fan or not,that movie blew.
Yea Halloween blew….but Jason was fckn AWESOME!!!!!!!!
I wonder if the person who wrote this review watched My Bloody Valentine 3D? the kills in that flick are over the top & downright nasty…
The ones in Friday the 13th were boring, insipid and totally dull, for fuck sake people stop the madness, this movie was crap & it doesn’t have one single murder to remember.
I’ll take MBV3D shovel thru the mouth over ALL the offings in Friday the SHIT.
Hey Chris you’re a fucking moron! My bloody valentine is a rip-off of Friday the 13th you idiot and it sucks!
Chris…I want to agree with you… MBV3D for all its flaws was a much more satisfying reimagining than this Friday the 13th. For one it was scary at times, and fun at times…but what really made that movie was its attention to the iconic images from the original: the hearts in the box, the mining suits falling from the ceiling, and mostly the washer/dryer death scene. MBV is a far less known movie than F13, and yet its remake knew how to homage its original. This Friday did not… an reference to Friday 1-4 seemed like an obligatory reference at best, not an homage at all. And honestly the worst offense here was the way Camp Crystal Lake itself was treated. The camp itself is just as big a character in the F13 series as Jason is…much like Halloween i tot he Halloween Franchise… I mean the original F13 didn;t even have Jason in it…it had Camp Crystal Lake. Now i get that if you are gonna reboot the franchise you wanna start right off with Jason and with the Mask…but that doesn’t mean you have to jump to that point of the story and lose the setting of a summer camp. Maybe sleepaway camps are not entirely relevant in 2024… but to me aside from Jason, F13 has always been about camp counselors and a machete wielding maniac.
Now if this were just another sequel to the franchise then I would be fine with that, but if we are to consider this a reboot, essentially new first in the franchise, than an essential part of the foundation is missing. We needed to go to Camp Crystal Lake in all its innocent glory before we start killing off hikers and rich kids living “across the lake”. This movie became a sequel of itself before it even became its own movie. It just doesn’t matter what happens “across the lake” before we see what happened at the camp. Showing up with Camp Crystal Lake all ready run down steals the essence from this movie.
That being said, as a straight up sequel it was a fun (if not entirely scary) ride and a good entry to the series, but if this is meant to be a new foundation it was just far to generic. Not enough of the key elements were put in place to set up a series as interesting and creepy (even at its worst) as the original. Let’s be honest… if you took this movie and only changed the name of the killer and removed the hockey mask you would be left with a formulaic boring direct to video horror film the likes of which line the shelves a blockbuster weekly.
just to reiterate…for James Smith’s benefit…yes the original MBV was a ripoff of F13 (and F13 was a ripoff of Halloween which was a ripoff of Black Christmas and…need I go on) but the original MBV was a better ripoff of the original Friday movie than this new Friday is…well obviously that is my opinion… but while this new film has some style it lacks a lot of tone… which is a result of what many have said before…the change if score and setting.
I would also like to address my thoughts (hey its a public forum) on the handling of the Hockey Mask. People have argued about the way Jason finds the mask in this reboot. I have to agree with those who say it was a little lackluster….again much like my criticism of the other borrowed moments, there wasn’t much about this moment that was special, this is a key element to the series and could have been handled with a bit of grandeur. Now people have argued that Jason getting his mask in previous movies was never all that special…this is where my argument get a little tricky and a bit “meta”.
In part three when Jason finally gets his mask, it was (much like this film) kind of matter of fact. In essence, when audiences watched part 3 for the first time in 1982, they saw the character Shelley pop up in a hockey ,ask, then a few scenes later he is offed and our killer decides to take this mask… kinda neat at the time but not groundbreaking…But now that Jason has become so iconic one oes back and watches that film, suddenly what was orignially a very matter of fact scene where the chunky guy comes out from under the dock with a hockey mask has now become the “OMG thats where Jason gets the mask from scene”. Now like i said, when originally filmed Jason finding his mask was just as lakcluster as in this reboot, but in hindsight has become iconic. Now that meta theatrical hindsight is exactly the kind of reason that remakes and reboots are so entoxicating to audiences. The filmakers here had an opportunity to recreate the feeling fans have when going back and watching Shelley in part 3 appear with the mask, knowing now what a legacy is to come out of it, and instead they chose to just kind of force it in there. I mean imagine the audience reaction if in the remake Chewie or Lawrence popped up with a hockey mask they found somewhere in trents house and tried to scare one of the girls…totally fits in with the characters of the film and audiences and fans alike would have been rolling knowing exactly where that mask was gonna end up…It’s moments like these thatwould have so easily fit into the story line, instead we have this completely forced moment that sets up for sever awkward and unnecasary refernced to the barn in part three…again this brings me back to my original argument…is there any fan out there who can honestly say that if they were gonna remake the first three or four Friday the 13th’s that they would sacrifice screen time at Camp Crystal Lake for more scenes in the redneck’s barn that’s kinda like the barn in part three only more boring and not in 3D (okay the 3D part was a low blow, but you get my drift here)
I just saw this for the second time tonight. The first time, I really wasn\’t sure how to feel. This time, I know how to feel. This movie, in all it\’s glory, is EXACTLY what Friday the 13th is. Dumb, cliched teenagers have the last party of their lives and get murdered by a mutant guy in a mask. And it\’s beautiful. Yeah, there was a lack of music. But a little sprinkling here and there doesn\’t hurt it one bit. Yeah, Jason didn\’t do anything mind-blowing to get his mask. But what exactly did everyone have in mind? I think it was spectacular how this guy who walks around seemingly mindless suddenly has the brains to pick up this mask he finds, try it on, look at himself in the mirror and go, \
Yup. That’s nice.”
He powers electric with kerosene. He has a bell to alert him when someone’s walking around on his land. He has traps. He actually seems MENACING. Now, granted, they could do some more with the mythology, but I think the title might be “Friday the 13th- The FIRST Friday.” And you’d have the same opinions about it as you do this one. Half and half.
Basically, if you like this series, there’s nothing wrong with this one. Bad or semi-bad acting, plot holes, and confusing moments (how’d Jason get on that roof so fast after axing that guy?) are in every movie. Even the best ones, which to me are Jason Lives and The Final Friday. It’s never gonna win any awards, but it’s always going to satisfy the people who like this series. And if you do like this series, how could you NOT like this movie???
um joey they didnt go back to camp crystal lake after part 1 til part 6 and it had a different name the rest took place on crystal lake in completely different settings and no homages to the original this whole movie was an homage to the first 4 movies and chris not one single murder to remember I will never sleep in a sleeping bag again or even let my girlfriend for that matter
and by the way I completely agree with this review I loved this movie one moment that made me feel like wow hes really smart in this was when he found clays bag he flipped out and turned on those spotlights I was just thinking wow Jason was never smart enough to have a set up like that before. I also felt Derek Mears was the best Jason ever I would be the first to beg him to never leave this role
Mikey – exactly…Camp Crystal Lake was a decrepit place after the events of Part 1. In Part 2, the gang is at a counselor training center near the condemned CCL. In Parts 3 & 4, the events take place at homes near Crystal Lake. Part 5 takes place…I can’t remember, but it doesn’t matter since Jason was not in the film anyway. Part 6 is the first time CCL is the setting once again, though renamed Forest Green. Part 7 is yet another setting near the Lake. Part 8, 9, X…blah, blah, blah. Really, CCL was only a setting for 1, 6, and I guess the intro to Part 9.
So yeah, Joey is wrong. It was realistic for CCL to be condemned/boarded up in the remake. Usually the stigma for a place like that would keep it from ever being used again. It’d more and likely be bulldozed after a period of time.
I stand corrected on my facts sorry… For some reason it thought that part two was the same camp but you are totally right… Though I stand by the fact that from a storytelling standpoint, choosing to start the film with kids in a house on the lake was a much weaker choice than setting it in a summer camp as the first two were…only because Camp Crystal Lake is where the whole thing started and if we are restarting thats where they should start. And again I wouldn’t have a problem at all if this were just another sequel, but it was supposed to be a first and it felt like it lacked a foundation. The camp sets the tone for the whole series and this new series feels like it has had the rug pulled out form underneath it… in my opinion.
Also from a purely storytelling standpoint…say you had never seen or heard of Friday the 13th in its original run… again only as an experiment n examining this script as a standalone fresh film as this has tired to be… you have three stories being told… The story of a woman whose son drowned (or almost drowns) so she kills the camp counselors she finds responsible only to be killed by one of said counselors in front of her still alive son… Story of a girl taking care of a sick mother, who escapes for a weekend with bf and his pit smoking friend only to be slaughtered by a guy in the woods who thinks girl looks like his dead mother… story of a boy looking for his presumed dead sister only to stumble upon partying kids in a rich kids lake house who begin to be slaughtered one by one almost randomly. Now of those three stories, the bulk of the film is spent on the third main story, which happens to be the least interesting. Leaving a viewer to wonder why they glossed over that opening story which is creepy and scary, the second story with mildly interesting characters and a lead female who actually has some substance to her, and chose to land on the third most vapid storylines where the characters took the stereotypes of the second story and one upped them…and a lead character with no substance and no plan other than a bunch of fliers. Now again no one wants a straight up remake of part one and no one wants to sell a Friday without Jason, but if they are building the foundation for a fresh franchise they needed a stronger story and more elements from he original series than just Jason.
To address some other points i did not articulate well…when i mentioned that the film did not homage i was speaking very literally…yes there were tons of references to the original films, but the did not feel like an homage, as an homage indicates some sort of respect for that which it is imitating or referencing. Again this is my opinion and I don’t claim to truly know what extend the creative and technical team held reverence for the original material, or at what point in the process it occurred but the numerous references felt so far derived and almost obligatory, as if they were scattered in because they had to be rather than in a way to celeberate the iconic moments of the series. So yes I am saying there were little or no homages to the original not because the film did not reference them but as I interpret the definition of homage they did not appear as such to me.
As far is it being realisitic for CCl to be condemned, it is totally realisitic that a camp were a murder took place to be condemned…i compeletely agree… (if anything in this day and age its actually more realisitic that by now it is condos or vacation homes… I mean if Trent’s family owns this gorgeaus home on the lake than it unlikely that real estate developers wouldnt snatch up the camp for a dime and redevelop it…that’s real reality) but again…while realistic it just isn’t ideal… like I said before it feels like its’s already a sequel before it is…. give us Camp Blood…it’s just as important to the story as Jason.
Anyway…agreements, disgreements, innacuracies (damn you got me) and opinions aside just want to say hi and thanks to everyone…its great to be able to have converstions and debate about something we all feel passionately about…and something many of our friends will just roll there as at when we start to get heated…
That is the most honest review of the new movie i\’ve read yet.So lets stop responding to all these hater assholes and start posting our favourite ideas for the inevitable sequel(s).(I vote for snow)……..KI,KI,KI,MI,MI,MI.
even when u think hes dead he just keeps coming back lol i was wrong(thank god)i thought he was dead i hated this movie but i have watched this movie 3 times now it grow on me and i now like it.its even up on my top 5 list of fav f13ths
so it has its flaws (score,only 3-4 kil mas)but every movie has them i cant wait 4 the next one
i soo missed the kikiki… i felt in love with this a long time ago and now what… one or two lousy spots in the movie where we could hear this lovely Jason-theme? give it some more next time please. (next time = soon!?!)
Hands down, excellent remake. This movie had absolutely everything that you could want in a horror movie.
I agree a great reimagining that will breath new life into my favorite franchise! But the kills were not over the top nor were they brutal not compared to old Jason kills. But hopefully they will top them selves the next round or on the unrated dvd! And at least the F13 series continues to escape direct to dvd hell!
There was a homage to every F13 movie up to 5-6 at least.
One of my fav’s is the the general store, if ya ya rember part 3. the ” fight” in the store.
My favorite homages were Clay and Whitney Miller = Victor Miller and Officer Bracke = Peter Bracke.
Wow, how much hostility is there against anyone who dare question the genius of this new movie. I guess the fanboys are out in full force this week
The remake was great, i have little if any complaints but in regards to the MBV3D comparisons … The new Friday The 13th was a much better film in my opinion and i only saw them like two weeks apart. MBV3D had that same “Who could the killer be” corny plot going on and if it wasn’t done in 3D it would have downright SUCKED.
That being said, the 3D effects in that film were really good and i wonder if im the only thinking that the next Friday the 13th film should DEFINITELY be in 3D !
If they do another Friday the 13th in 3D, I think they should make it the third in the new series
It’s the best remake since The Hills Have Eyes, for sure. It’s classic Friday the 13th, which I love.
That was a great review Tony!!!! IT was great to see bits off the old films in there! Like the wheelchair! He kept things from every victim!!!
F13 in 3D YES PLEASE!!!!!!
Reezo, “ki ki, ma, ma” was used 6 times in the new film. You and others need to stop acting like it was never used.
There’s a difference between it being used sparingly, and then being overused. Do you really need to hear “ki ki, ma ma” every single time Jason is getting ready to kill someone? To me, that is excessive.
And to Christian Sellers – I guess, in your biased mind, it is only the people who liked the new film that are being hostile? Surely you miss the hostility and crude language used by some of your cohorts who are only here to bash the film. Maybe you should stop labeling entire focus groups by the actions of a few?
In my opinion, a rather “ghoul” remake of a horror classic that has been around since 1980. Seeing this movie on opening day vhich just happen to be a Friday the 13th vas a stroke of genius! I vas entertained and satisfied vith the movie for the most part and I can honestly say it vas a day to remember in a more positive light for me than in years past. After being choked by Kane Hodder (F13 7-10), chatting vith Ken Kirzinger (FREDDY VS. JASON) and hanging out vith Ari Lehman (FirstJason) at horror conventions…I now hope to add Derek Mears to my list of Jason actors I HAVE to “meat” and congratulate on a job vell done! TWO FANGS UP!
I want my money back…Leatherface didn’t even use his chainsaw!!!
That opening sequence was chilling! we gotta have a sequel as well as a prequel showing the whole mrs voorhees part from the beginning!
I’ve been reading these reviews for a few days now and I’ve seen very few, if any folks point out the main reason this remake was less than good. The camera and editing work. The shaky, choppy handheld camera work is a hallmark of the ultimate cop out and a sure sign of a terrible director.
Why bother plotting out decent scenes and camera positioning when you can just shoot a scene from a few different angles, shake the camera around a bunch, then slap it together in the editing room?
Half of the kills and action sequences featured this kinda of cowardly film technique. The escape towards the end in the tunnels? Nearly unwatchable. Shaky camera shot jumps to yet another jiggle cam shot and so on. It’s pointless cinema. Pure crap filler.
The biggest failure of this new film was the lack of simple, old school cinematography back by a good score. Long shots and well set-up scenes on a DAMN TRIPOD would have gone miles to making it funner to watch.
I’m not even going to get into the piss poor Nu Metal shitfest of a “score”. Oi.
I hope this satisfies the fans who wanted a back-to-basics Friday, and that they aren’t surprised that it couldn’t capture the vibe of the original classics. A good but unremarkable entry in the franchise.
i agree cairo, shaky camera shit is a way to get away with not getting good shots. it is 100% unanimous among the public that it hurts a movie. i’ve never heard a single person say they don’t mind it. ask anyone, and they’ll start up a bitch-fest.
i don’t why they take into consideration certain complaints and not others. yes, they can’t make everyone happy, but this is a case where it’s UNANIMOUS!! WE BITCHED ABOUT IT IN THE TCMs MORE THAN ENOUGH!!! WE DON’T WANT SHAKY CAMERAS!!!
PLEASE, EVERYBODY KEEP SAYING IT UNTIL THEY LISTEN!! we didn’t get a single good shot of jason with the pillowcase on his head, and from the still shots i’ve seen it looked awesome. STOP SHAKING THE FUCKING CAMERAS!!!
I know what you mean about having less of a foundation I hope the dvd has a longer version of the scene at the very beginning where his mother gets killed but I guess its opinion with the homages I liked what they went with and I think the kids at the vacation home being interesting is also a matter of opinion because thats something I would be there doing not looking for a weed crop so its scarier to think your not even safe in a nice big house let alone tents but again I can see where your opinion comes from and I agree I do like being able to debate with someone with a similar love for this series in a friendly manner
Great review. But please people quit calling it “shaky camera”! It’s hand held. Shaky camera. HA!
Regardless. It was a camera. It was shakey. Hence…shakey camera
I am very divided by the new F13 movie. I am a hardcore fan of the first four installments and I watch them all the time. I have went through two VHS sets and I am on my third DVD box set. I also went and bought the blue ray for part 1 when it came out. I would rate the killings and the new Jason an A+, the script a D- and the casting, besides Jason, Jared Padalecki, and Danielle Panabaker was a F. What I love about the first four F13’s is how you care about the characters and how they are very believable. They also have some common sense. They also don’t wobble around the whole time drunk and with a bong in their hang. (Minus the hippy couple from part3) I think the new F13 is a combination between a horror film and Abercrombie and Fitch catalog. The issue I have with this cast is, why would you go with a group of people camping that you really didn’t like? I also hate how the black guy or girl in a new horror films are always a gangsta, gonna cut you, and put themselves out there to be killed. Why can’t they act like the other kids and be smart. Why does the Asian guy gotta be the nerdy, fix things kid? I hated that they had the little prick, that went around saying this is mine or that is mine. I mean what sticks with you in the old ones is how you cared for the victims that died and it really had an emotional impact on you. Did you notice how the black and Asian guy were somewhat segregated from the group in the new F13remake? I like how a movie can play with your emotions and mind. I also think what makes the old ones so magical is the time period. They didn’t have cell phones or gps’s. What if the survivor in one of the older films got into there car, realized they left there keys inside and called On-Star to crank their car via satellite? LOL I mean that would totally take the magic out of it. They should have made it in the 80’s setting, which Michael Bay normally is good at doing with time lines. I was very disappointed with the script. I think they could have really dug deeper. Maybe made the creepy old lady Pamela Vorhees sister, or relative or something. I also didn’t like how they started the movie off with the killing of Alice and Mrs. Vorhees. You would think they would have come up with something different to start the movie. I have alot of respect for Adrian and Betsy and Michael really messed up when he attempted to recreate that scene. The scene lacked emotion. I will give them a A+ on the death scenes as far as the creativity of them. I thought it was so clever how Jason tied the girl above the campfire in the sleeping bag to burn while her boyfriend’s foot was caught in the trap and helpless having watch. That creeped me out the most, because you felt the helplessness of the character. I will say they could have found a better way to kill Jason. I also hate how Michael Bay never lets you feel closure to a movie, even if you know there is going to be a sequel. I mean who would go through a ordeal like the two survivors did, then drag him all the way down to the lake to dump his body? Come on! The script seemed to be scattered until after they all get to the house and by the time you do start getting into it, its over. I think that the fans deserve something way better than what we got. If the Jason has to be in the present, why not bring the survivors back from the originals and let them do a face off. I think it would make a much better movie!
Stereotypical characters are a staple of these movies. There’s always been the jock, the brainy kid, the funny one, the bimbo and yeah the occasional black guy. The present world has changed over the past 3 decades, it is a place where kids love Abercrombie and Fitch and listen to hip-hop. It’s the all about me generation. I don’t love it myself but it is what it is.
Apart from the farmers crops these kids didn’t really smoke anymore than they have in the past. Micheal Bay had no real involvement to do with this movie. I’m sick of hearing that and alot of fans have already gone in watching this movie thinking “oh man M. Bay is just gonna fuck it up I know it, I already heard about TCM.”
These movies never had closure, it’s almost always a “he could be back feeling.” I’ll agree the opening scene could of been better perhaps just longer just for the sake of a better explanation to those not too familiar with the F13 movies.
@ Tony Carroll. I know. I\\\’m not trying to be a prick or anything. But we all learn something new everyday rite? lol
what ever happened to killing kids that we felt sorry for? The wheelchair guy in II, Shelly in III, The stuttering kid in V who got refected, and the killer’s son in V. If another movie is done, put a very innocent kid in it, like science fiction kid in VII who got his heart broken by Melissa. With the originals, i found myself rooting for certain characters.
David H Feb 18th, 2024 at 9:19 pm Great review. But please people quit calling it “shaky camera”! It’s hand held. Shaky camera. HA!
That’s all you have to say about those comments? Are you the cameraman?
…Nobody implied that the device is called “shaky camera.” A hand-held camera cam be held steady or shaky. If it’s steady I don’t have a problem. If it’s shaky, problem. Therefore, I dislike “shaky camera”, not “steady camera” or “hand held camera” in general.
It can be a butt-held camera for all I care. I just want to know what the hell’s going on in the movie I paid $8 to see.
My view on this film. It lacked many things. First REAL original Characters! Like, Clay, he’s Rob from Part four. And the guy who owned the house complaining about the mess. That’s the character from Part 7! I felt This Friday the 13th was SO CLICHED!!! They have sex and get killed, some smoke dope and get killed, Have sex get killed! If you’re 18 years old and seeing this film then great enjoy. But most of the true Friday fans who have seen the films in the theaters and follow the series are much older> I really got bored with the story and characters, I didn’t even care about!
Everyone says after Part four the series got lame, But honestly after part five they tried something different each time. Making the movie going exeperience fresh and interesting. Parts 6 thru 10 may not been the best to some in the series but each one was infact different and original each time which made it exciting to see. On this Friday I felt it was part three and four re-made! Sorry I’d rather watch the original films. Now for Jason ,Derek did a good job as JASON. But No one is better than Kane Hodder On the character of Jason, Since when did he use a crossbow? What is he Rambo?! And When did Jason Spare a victum?! Whitney is spared? We forget Jason is a killing machine like the shark in Jaws! He’s not a mercy killer! And the kills were do all ready! The sleeping bag? it’s from part seven, just done over a fire! I like the sleeping bag smacked on the tree instead! And Jason doesn’t run, he’s a stalker for god’s sake! I wish they didn’t do a re-make or re-imaging(Same thing folks!) But try an original story with these characters and really give us insight on when Jason is the way he is! I felt cheated on this movie! My own opinion Friday the 13th Part 7:The New Blood. Was more original, better made movie than this piece of Crap. Look at Kane in that movie and then Derek in this one and tell me which Jason kick ass!
Austin can you tell me in how many movies they didn’t smoke pot, have sex, and then get killed?
So anything that looks familiar is not original and lame. Anything new doesn’t belong there because you have not seen it in a F13 before? You really got me scratchin my head on this one.
I saw the movie last night….
Maybe i need to watch it again i was not impressed that much they should of given the mother beginnig part at least more than it did….
They could of done a lot more with that :-S
They could of done the whitney going missing a lot more of a mystery rather than a lot of rushed kills in 0-60 seconds
The rest i did not really have any compliants about good kills They made jason a hunter with the tunnels very clever shows how he can get from another place to another quick enough….
Like i said i think i have to watch it again to see if anything makes me changes my mind
Joe, I totally agree with what you said about Camp Blood. It just didnt’ seem anywhere near it. How about shooting around the same area that the original was shot in? Seemed to have a little better wooded area’s + more secluded. The new setting really ticked me off, the sign ‘camp crystal lake’ was so corny looking & overdone.
If your going to slap Friday the 13th into current times, are Pamela & Jason Vorhees even needed in these films? I know this is going to piss alot of you guys off- but this movie could have been better if it had nothing to do with Jason or his mom. Have some kids looking for their pot, only to discover that some sick bastards are there as well, waiting. Cunningham made the first flick as a warning that bad things do happen, random occurances, etc. He sold the first Friday to the studios on the name “Friday the 13th” alone- had no plot, nothing. As a huge fan of this series, I’d like to be scared by ‘Friday the 13th’ again.
Impress the new generation of kids! Scare the shit out of them to the point of creating phobia’s of the woods!
Heres my OPINION on how this movie would work with Jason & his mom being mostly the main characters:
Start it off with Pamela & Elias Vorhees, happy as can be. Living a good distance up in the woods, very secluded. Elias is a tall hard working carpenter or lumberjack, who sometimes drank a little too much. They both are very homely looking & personalities to match. Pamela a cook for all the little kiddies at camp. Elias notices over some time that Pamela has been acting very strange, but writes it off as stress from work, etc. They knock it out & Pam gets Preggers.
Elias worst fears surface as Pamela seems to get worse & worse as her pregnancy wears on. (babling, times when she thinks noone is around, caught talking to herself, very very reminiscent of MPD, bypolar, etc.) He has a particularly shitty run in with his boss at the end of work one day, gets fired, goes to the bar & just gets shitfaced. Comes back in a drunk stupor after last call, to see that Pamela is in full force with her new condition, they have a epic fight & Elias leaves. Having no job in the area, and living with a crazy bitch were not too appealing to him.
Pamela takes this breakup very harsh, takes drugs, alcohol, her condition worsens, etc.
Jason is born, the doctors are all in all pretty shocked to see this baby come out the way it did, not the norm if you know what I mean. Pamela is estatic, she thinks this is the most beautiful boy she has ever seen. Doctors ask if she used any kind of drugs, alcohol, etc during pregnancy, she answers yes- but also says that she wouldn’t have him looking any other way.
Her family comes to visit & see the newborn, they are not happy with the way she handled the pregnancy, and someone makes the mistake of remarking about the young Jasons face. This infuriates Pamela & she cuts most ties with her family & remains cooking & doing odd jobs (learning in the past from Elias basics to Carpentry, handywomen, etc.)
She raises Jason to about age 6 when Elias comes by to help support Pamela & the baby. He has found a good job out away from Camp Crystal, & wants her to come with. She agrees but Elias has yet to SEE Jason. Elias & Pamela are having a cup of coffee as Jason comes in the front door with a rabbit he had caught. Elias’s first reaction is ‘this one of jasons friends’? He leaves saying he doesn’t want to raise a ‘retard’ but will provide cash when he can.
This has a profound effect on little Jason- as he was old enough to remember how terrifyingly psychotic his mother got that night.
She home schools Jason, but feels that she should let him go to the summer camp, to be able to intermingle with some kids his own age. He is called every name in the book, spit on, basically bullied, etc. Pamela tried to tell the counselers that he was special, but in truth they are disgusted with him. The counselers report back to Pamela that he is doing fine, noone is picking on him etc.
I don’t like the idea that Jason was swimming when he drowned in the first place. Since he was not a good swimmer I don’t see the counselor leaving him alone in the first place so…..
Jason is rowing out in the lake in a row boat, the counselor yells for him to come in, but he just sits there & keeps rowing. The counselor gets fed up & heads back to the cabins to get a jacket, its getting cold. Jason notices something in the water & goes to reach over the side of the boat to pick it out of the water. The boat tips over, plunging Jason into the water, he struggles for a minute then sinks to the bottom. The counselor comes back 20 minutes later, (bow chicka bow wow) & sees the boat capsized.
The rest is history as they say.
Anyone think this would work for a better part 1?
Im upset that they dont mention Julianna Guill whenever they show the cast at a premiere or on the fims main site, its like they deliberately uncredited her as Bree. why is this?
Austin, you say this this movie was too cliched. All F13th movies are. that’s what makes a jason movie. There doesn’t need to be a backstory. They already tried it w/ JGH, but it failed.
Chewie – “Here’s to daddy’s shoes and FUCKING DOUCHEBAGS, lets just all be on big happy cliche!”
Trent – “Dude what the fuck try not to burn down my house!”
i liked how they actually made him look like he really cared for the land, he was actually prepared for unwelcomed visitors. i like how jason showed more than a anger, he showed more emotions through whant he did and how he did it. derreck mears was perfect for this roll.
it was good that they will have to make a sequel
Ryan
Not all the movies are cliched. Look at “The New Blood”. Jason verus Tine with Telekinesis! That was very original for a Jason flick. Even Jason X was a good attempt to try something very different, The only reason Jason X bombed is because THey released in the theaters 2 years after it was made and by then everyone either saw it as a bootleg or on the internet! And there is sex scenes in a Jason movie I agree, but not every ten minutes! Usually it’s just one or two scenes. This looked like a freakin cheap porno with Jason in it! And as for saying Jason goes to Hell Failed, that’s not so. A lot of Peopled liked that one becasue it was very different! The most successful one’s in the series was part one and part four, mainly because of Tom Savini’s SPecial effects work in those films and this is a fact. Don’t get me wrong there was good effects in this movie, but Part one and Part four showed raw and creative gore. But then again Tom Savini is the best FX Master in the business! We can all argue about this movie, but there is the old school Friday fans and the new school fans. If you are a new school Friday fan then you’ll love this! As for me seeing these films in the theaters from 1986 I perfer the older films. I think this would have worked if Sean Cunningham Produced, Victor Miller wrote the script, Tom Savini directed, and KNB Effects did the special effects. But this is just my opinion.Also a fact out of all the sequels Part 3 did the best with, $36,690,067, followed by the Final Chapter with $32,980,880.