While it may serve as a nostalgic entry for fans of the franchise, it ultimately lacks the depth and creativity necessary for a memorable or meaningful horror experience. The primary aspects of the horror genre are to shock, scare, terrorize, and work on viewers’ phobias, simply – entertain; the social commentary is either performed subtly or explicitly well-crafted without the plot devices of troubled youths engaged rebellion and dealing with mental illness that is addressed properly. The horror audiences sometimes enjoy sheer lunacy like Deathgasm [2015] or slashers like Final Exam [1981] and then there’s more crafty ones as Halloween [1978] or Scream [1996]. Hence director Danny Steinmann (The Unseen [1980]) and assisted by screenwriters Martin Kitrosser (Friday the 13th Part 3 [1982] and Part 4 [1984]) and David Cohen should have relied less on tropes and while likely not their choice to abandon Jason, after all he got the franchise to that point not a random myth relying on homicidal maniacs, should have called it ‘Father Knows Best’. Nevertheless, the instructions were easy, every seven forced a killing and somehow ends with Tommy becoming the new Jason, this attitude was accepted by the fans, while the production made back the budget with over $20-million profit, the press, and other aspects discouraged that approach.
As is typical in slasher films the characters are often underdeveloped, completely superficial with stereotypical traits (jock, bully, flirt, etc.) as the future victims in the story. Aside from three primary characters the rest are minor set pieces finding themselves with little depth.
The opening dream is the first and only time the real Jason appearance is noted with the red strips on the hockey mask, otherwise the most acute fans knew about a fake Jason because of the blue stripes. While the first professional title assistant director Pam (Melanie Kinnaman (I Spill Your Guts 2 [2020])) meets Tommy Jarvis (John Shepard (Bless the Child [2000])) our first two primary characters, also have the minor role of lecherous male nurse (Bob DeSimone).
Richard Young, Melanie Kinnaman, John Shepherd
Next worthless individual is Dr. Matthew (Matt in the credits – Richard Young) as he tells a socially and mentally distant Tommy about Pinehurst Youth Development Center, a juvenile rehabilitation camp, which is more of a hallway house that has no rules and each person is their own boss, which is simply bs, most are built on the point system to earn the privilege to reenter society. Another silly aspect is his bags are not searched, and the buck knife is another foreshadowing device as no respectable place allows such a weapon nor the Halloween masks as it could be detrimental to the well-being of other residents. Pam’s passive manner of telling Tommy how to find his room is thoroughly hogwash, once more to acclimate to a new resident they be shown to ease them into a new environment. Next up is Reggie (Shavar Ross), who is sort of the replacement for Corey Feldman’s character (Gremlins [1984])) who enjoys teasing the residents but serves no other purposes and frankly should not even been at the location.
Shavar Ross as Reggie at a youth center – do bot ask why
The sheriff Cal Tucker (Marco St. John (Frankenfish [2004])) and his Deputy Dodd (Richard Lineback (The Ring [2002])) returns with Tina (Debisue Voorhees (Appointment with Fear [1985])) and boyfriend, Eddie (John Robert Dixon) to facility, however there is no mental halfway house that would allow this behavior to continue especially if they doing the nasty while trespassing, the only time this couple is shown is after romantic meetings. It is also first time most of the cast all meet at once for the audience’s advantage to note the future body count, for example Reggie’s Grandpa George (Vernon Washington (The Dark [1979])) who serves as the cook.
Marco St. John warning folks about the film
Herein a stereotypical filthy crude and crazy redneck mother Ethel (Carol Locatell) and son, Junior (Ron Sloan (13 Fanboy [2021])), who has some mental deficiencies. A few hours later a brief meeting with Robin (Juliette Cummins (Deadly Dreams [1988])) and Violet (Tiffany Helm (13 Fanboy [2021])) both residents but it mainly focuses on Joey (Dominick Brascia (Once Bitten [1985])). In a short frame of footage, one discovers a lot of detail about Joey, who is slightly mentally handicapped who tries to help but is treated by others as a misfit. His role reminded me of the outcast Shelly (Larry Zerner (All Creatures Were Stirring [2018])) from Part III.
Vic/Victor (Mark Venturini (The Return of the Living Dead [1985])) who’s hostile encounter led to the catalyst for the rest of movie sets everything into motion in any normal realistic world Vic would not be allowed to handle any sharp or dangerous weapons with his ill-advised temperament. In the shortest period, the sheriff returns to Pinehurst, and while Joey’s body lays covered under a sheet the other residents are gathered about weeping, left to process the trauma on their own. The doctor is horrible at his job, enforces no rules, unethical, unrealistic nor a group campfire therapy session to mourn his loss, just ho-hum on with the day. He appears of pure fodder for the pending massacre as all he does is thoroughly ineffective. Other previous films of the franchise’s camp counselors’ leaders had more leadership and discipline than the tiny staff found at Pinehurst.
Viewers witness the rage building in Roy who was secretively Joey’s father, but his paramedic partner Duke (Caskey Swaim) is another crude individual who seems incompetent and uncaring about any of the youths but more on Roy in a bit. Then onto a horrible jump cut of two buddies Pete (Corey Parker (Scream for Help [1984])) and Vinnie (Anthony Barrile) are miscellaneous set pieces they have no other reason for the inclusion into the storyline of revenge as they have zero connection to the facility. Although Pete’s death has similar reference to Annie’s death in Halloween [1978] with the killer hiding in the backseat, hence the horror movie rule, always check the rear seats. The other victims make it into the fray with our orderly and his girl Lana (Rebecca Wood-Sharkey) both characters are extremely thin in terms of importance to the movie. Once more another strange cut to close-up of Mayor Cobb (Ric Mancini) yelling for a solution to these crimes, falls into another typical trope, that any culprit will do, a homeless vagrant to rouge traveler, no evidence is needed. This trope of misdirection has been used most famously in Jaws [1975], Snowbeast [1977], and in later films such as Sleepy Hollow [1999] and The Clovehitch Killer [2018]. Truly the only real reason to have this scene is to slip in the name recognition of Jason Voorhees.
Meanwhile Tommy stays isolated as Tina and Eddie slip off for another quickie, as one recall really the true reason Debi Sue Voorhees was casted caused of the last name sadly, she never gets the chance to slaughter by her relative. The curious drifter/voyeur whose character’s name Raymond is never mentioned was Sonny Shields gets a gut busting death, while the romantic drug-fuel quickie couple hears nothing. These two lovers both have their eyes destroyed.
I guess she does not need to see the movie (Deborah Voorhees)
Here’s to not see you anymore
As night falls, Pam drives Reggie to see his brother Demon (Miguel A. Nunez Jr. (The Return of the Living Dead [1985])), with Tommy forced to tag along. Upon their arrival Reggie rushes to his bro’s van to meet his girl Anita (Jeré Fields); while acting like a typical little kid, Tommy stays behind a neon sign which draws him into odd trance, as the story returns to his troublesome suffering mental state. Junior arrives to tease and torment Tommy calling him insulting words as a sick transference of what his mother does to him on a regular basis. Although as before with Eddie, Tommy explodes in rage to savagely attacks Junior before running off in a dissociation of moment recalling the past horrific scene that destroys family and life. While this is what the audience should see in these characters the story never carries this depth either because it was inconvincible or the studio figured why explore other themes just give basic carnage for the fans enjoyment, such as the lamest beheading of Junior and a mundane killing of his mother, followed by another couple’s demise which resulted in Anita’s deaths, becoming the first of four to occur off-screen.
Tracie Savage in Friday the 13th III
Juliette Cummins wish we had more blood gush
The juvenile center shows the true selves of Robin and Violet while also becoming a house of horror. Robin who wept with false tears after Joey died as she gave him little regard and laughed at him behind his back as a similar action Jeffrey except a humiliating laugh to his face and Violet later rejects him for her own selfish behavior. He is quickly dispatched; Robin gets her own comeuppance as her death is very similar to Debbie (Tracie Savage (The Crooked Man [2016])) in Part III. Unlike the true Jason the killings are far less imaginative and impactful, as this latest offering for the meat wagon would the fourth stabbing in the stomach in this movie.
Harry Crosby in Friday the 13th
Doc’s practic is now close
Matt and George had gone searching for the horny lovebirds, but both are killed off screen. However, when their corpses turn up later, they are eerily like murders from Friday the 13th [1980] as Matt’s body looks likes Bill (Harry Crosby) and George is toss through the window as was Brenda (Laurie Bartram (The House of Seven Corpses [1973])) except his eyes too were removed. A key reference that is underlying is the psychological trauma that’s found to symbolize in the removal of the eyes in three separate victims, it the inner cruelty of a person self, while the killer has a loss of both his humanity and identity.
Laurie Bartram in Friday the 13th thru window landing
Vernon Washington
Roy, almost immediately goes from grief to an uncontrollable rage, his eyes appear as if he is going to ‘hulk’ out all leading a furious madness. He clearly used the legacy of “Jason” to advance the myths about as a form of urban legend. The most well-aware fan base knew the killer was the importer, especially as Roy’s movements all seem exaggerated the methods of killing he inflicted lack intense damage, as the real Jason never care about his physical form, herein Roy paused to examine his injuries. It was all an insult to the true Jason Voorhees, the embodiment of terror while Roy was just actor portraying a villain. Although, one major problem, Roy seems to have the same supernatural ability as Jason to spontaneously appear near his potential target even they ran in a straight line, how so – he is merely mortal.
Jason worry about wounds since when
I suppose it is only fair to have a very in-depth character analysis of Tommy Jarvis; his first appearance started as a dream scenario, but a time jump has him as a hard to believe youthful juvenile. While attempting to portray a psychologically damaged youth, who’s personality is far removed from any ‘normal’ perspective; but the role lacks any motivation and written as the most isolated standoffish character that was approvingly elevated to acclimate back into society by so-called mental health experts. A severe deterioration of his mental state spirals downward throughout the movie, while no one provides any help or care; except for a micro-inquiry by the sheriff. His journey sways greatly from an innocence to his own grief and anger as he confronts sinister violence of ‘Jason’ both in form of hallucinations and reality to the very end of film. One last observation between this film and Part III, the filmmakers must have a fetish for Outhouses, yes the location is very claustrophobic and allows a person to have the maximum vulnerability for scene at least the killing was not identical.
Chuck (David Katims) in Friday the 13th p3
Demon in the Outhouse in Part 5
The conclusion of the film is an open-ended question that is formerly resolved, until Part VI (sort of) where viewers are left to decide if lying to the opening is another dream or he accepted himself as a variation Jason. The movie had the opportunity to venture down a different path in the slasher subgenre, by treating mental illness in a better frame instead of the typical trope vehicle which diminishes the quality of the film. One possibility was to turn the ’Jason’ back to an unknown assailant as a woman, in a recast Ethel who eliminates the youths for taunting her son Junior sort of like Mrs. Voorhees (Betsy Palmer (Part II [1981])) defending her sweet little boy; but alas it never occurred.
Carol Locatell and Ron Sloan
This installment arrives at a pivotal moment for the franchise, the early entries had an unstoppable force lurking in the woods, a legend known as Jason Voorhees; temporary stopped by a machete swinging pre-teen boy and a studio. However, nothing says the evil needs to stay at rest especially when the box office returns were so grandiose. Although this off-shoot in the Voorhees world had a potential to explore both the myth and urban legend. There was half-hearted attempt to use trauma and mental illness to generate that suspense from the first film. The opportunity to transcend the slasher subgenre and used the psychological torments is only show with Tommy and no one else, never clear why any of them are there except to meet their bloody doom. Some the dialogue seems awkward or cheesy, a few characters delivery is too dramatic to not engage in the incorrect tempo depending on the scene likely due to an uninspiring script or rushed misdirected shooting schedule. The plot like the characters is without any depth and quickly dissolves into random scenes of standard stalk and slash method.
TAGLINES:
- Terror Is Reborn (Deluxe Edition DVD)
- If Jason still haunts you, you’re not alone!
- A New Beginning to the first step in terror
- The mindless, murderous fury that was buried with Jason has been reborn. And suddenly, terror has become child’s play!
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089173/
IMDb Rating: 4.8/10
Baron’s Rating: 4.5/10
Follows:
Friday the 13th (1980)
Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)
Friday the 13th: Part 3 (1982)
Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984)
Followed by:
Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986)
Friday the 13th: The New Blood (1988)
Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989)
Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993)
Jason X (2001)