Friday the 13th (2009)
My rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
The Friday the 13th franchise has been around nearly thirty years. It's been through a lot of changes over the years, but a few things remain: it's still a low-budget, tounge-in-cheek, violent slasher series that doesn't take itself too seriously. From Friday the 13th part 3: 3D (yes, the original theatrical release was red and blue 3D!) to Freddy versus Jason (mixing the Nightmare on Elm St. and Friday the 13th series in an epic battle movie), to Jason X (where a group of astronauts must fight Jason in outer space, in the future. Yeah.) the Friday the 13th series has been full of gimmicks. It has also helped pioneer the slasher movie template we all know today, like, "group of teens goes to camp / gets lost / cell phone dies / car won't start / laughable acting and dialouge / crazy slasher picks them off one by one". This template is epitomized best in 80's flicks, and has since kind of died down. You can still find examples of it through the 90s, and 00s. But, it's not as common.
that's where Friday the 13th (2009) comes in! What's the gimmick of this movie? The fact that it is a modern, no-holds-barred, back-to-basics, no-frills Jason movie. There hasn't been one in years. That's the novelty of it, and I'm in love with it.
Our story begins with a group of young early 20 somethings traversing through some thick woods, looking for a big marijuana farm. (It's absurd, I know.) They accidentally stumble upon Camp Crystal Lake, the legendary home of the Jason Vorhees slaughterings. Big shocker. Then, in the middle of the night in their camp, Jason emerges from the recesses of wherever he's been for the last few years, and picks them off one by one. And this is all before the opening credits. Awesome.
The brother of one of the victims, Clay, goes on a search for his "missing" sister, and runs into the weird, stubborn locals of this small town. All the locals know about the dangers of Jason, but he doesn't listen, of course. He must find his sister.
Inevitably, he meets some new young 20 something idiotic friends, and they join his search for his sister. They tromp around the woods, stay in a log cabin, and guess what happens?
There is some confusion surrounding the basic premise of the new Friday the 13th. Many people think it is a remake of the original. It is definitely not. It is simply a sequel, and it has nothing to do with the very first Friday 13th. It is simply a continuation of the Jason story.
If you watch the new Friday the 13th, understand what you're watching. It is great for those who are nostalgic about the 80's slasher movies of yesteryear. Know that you will be watching absurd violence, "scary" dark scenes in the woods, unnecessary nudity, and hilariously bad dialouge. That is the point of any Jason movie. You have to have a sense of humor about it. All the "movie critics" who bash this movie simply do not understand the point, or fun, of it. This ain't Gone With the Wind, folks. But I will say, the quality of this 2009 Jason is vastly improved over the no-budget 80s versions. That is also part of it's awesomeness. It has a respectable budget, while still acknowledging that it is not trying to take over the world.
As with any horror series of this nature, there are some that are worth a watch, and some that are complete throw-away junk. In my opinion, these are the ones worth watching in the series:
Friday the 13th Part 4: The Final Chapter (laughably, not the final chapter)
Friday the 13th Part 6: Jason Lives (big surprise)
Friday the 13th part 8: Jason Takes Manhattan (and how!)
Friday the 13th (2009)
That's just one man's opinion. But, of course, I'm completely right.
The Friday the 13th franchise has been around nearly thirty years. It's been through a lot of changes over the years, but a few things remain: it's still a low-budget, tounge-in-cheek, violent slasher series that doesn't take itself too seriously. From Friday the 13th part 3: 3D (yes, the original theatrical release was red and blue 3D!) to Freddy versus Jason (mixing the Nightmare on Elm St. and Friday the 13th series in an epic battle movie), to Jason X (where a group of astronauts must fight Jason in outer space, in the future. Yeah.) the Friday the 13th series has been full of gimmicks. It has also helped pioneer the slasher movie template we all know today, like, "group of teens goes to camp / gets lost / cell phone dies / car won't start / laughable acting and dialouge / crazy slasher picks them off one by one". This template is epitomized best in 80's flicks, and has since kind of died down. You can still find examples of it through the 90s, and 00s. But, it's not as common.
that's where Friday the 13th (2009) comes in! What's the gimmick of this movie? The fact that it is a modern, no-holds-barred, back-to-basics, no-frills Jason movie. There hasn't been one in years. That's the novelty of it, and I'm in love with it.
Our story begins with a group of young early 20 somethings traversing through some thick woods, looking for a big marijuana farm. (It's absurd, I know.) They accidentally stumble upon Camp Crystal Lake, the legendary home of the Jason Vorhees slaughterings. Big shocker. Then, in the middle of the night in their camp, Jason emerges from the recesses of wherever he's been for the last few years, and picks them off one by one. And this is all before the opening credits. Awesome.
The brother of one of the victims, Clay, goes on a search for his "missing" sister, and runs into the weird, stubborn locals of this small town. All the locals know about the dangers of Jason, but he doesn't listen, of course. He must find his sister.
Inevitably, he meets some new young 20 something idiotic friends, and they join his search for his sister. They tromp around the woods, stay in a log cabin, and guess what happens?
There is some confusion surrounding the basic premise of the new Friday the 13th. Many people think it is a remake of the original. It is definitely not. It is simply a sequel, and it has nothing to do with the very first Friday 13th. It is simply a continuation of the Jason story.
If you watch the new Friday the 13th, understand what you're watching. It is great for those who are nostalgic about the 80's slasher movies of yesteryear. Know that you will be watching absurd violence, "scary" dark scenes in the woods, unnecessary nudity, and hilariously bad dialouge. That is the point of any Jason movie. You have to have a sense of humor about it. All the "movie critics" who bash this movie simply do not understand the point, or fun, of it. This ain't Gone With the Wind, folks. But I will say, the quality of this 2009 Jason is vastly improved over the no-budget 80s versions. That is also part of it's awesomeness. It has a respectable budget, while still acknowledging that it is not trying to take over the world.
As with any horror series of this nature, there are some that are worth a watch, and some that are complete throw-away junk. In my opinion, these are the ones worth watching in the series:
Friday the 13th Part 4: The Final Chapter (laughably, not the final chapter)
Friday the 13th Part 6: Jason Lives (big surprise)
Friday the 13th part 8: Jason Takes Manhattan (and how!)
Friday the 13th (2009)
That's just one man's opinion. But, of course, I'm completely right.
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