With a staggering 10 films, not to mention “Freddy vs. Jason” (which was actually kind of good), Jason Vorhees has certainly made a lasting horror footprint. Legends like Jason are prime for reproduction. So, in 2009 Director Marcus Nispel (who helmed 2003’s “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” reboot), brought cinema-goers a brand new “Friday the 13th.” The film, while making some combinations to the legend of Jason and upping the ante on killing methods and special effects, stayed remarkably true to form. Unlike “Chainsaw,” which was gory, and hopeless, “Friday the 13th” is legitimately scary, even if it doesn’t tread new ground. “…[“Friday the 13th”] is about the best “Friday the 13th” movie you could hope for,” wrote film critic Roger Ebert. Coming from a man who detested ‘dead teenager films,’ this can only be seen as a compliment.
The film follows the exploits of a group of teenagers and a young man looking for his lost sister. Fans of the series will no doubt dispute some changes this film makes, such as truncating the events of the first film, which chronicles Mrs. Vorhees’ rampage, and starts the carnage with Jason himself. Sure, there are some other changes too: Historically, Jason didn’t find his signature hockey mask until the fantastic “Part III,” and here finds it within the confines of this movie. The film also has been updated to modern times. The past of Mrs. Vorhees’ day has been set in 1980, with the film’s modern teenagers waltzing around listening to rap albums and using GPSs to navigate Camp Crystal Lake. In this, however, Nispel has been reverently devoted. Jason’s methods and lethality have changed, but not his location. Camp Crystal Lake remains his haunt in this, his 12th incarnation.
The casting for this movie fits the bill, even if some roles are completely stereotyped. We have the hated popular kid (Travis Van Winkle), his beautiful girlfriend (Danielle Panabaker from “Mr. Brooks’” fame), and some other friends played by Aaron Yoo, Julianna Guill, and Arlen Escarpeta. Cast alongside these is Clay, searching for his sister, Whitney, played by Jared Padalecki, who completely sheds his minor character from “Gilmore Girls” in his portrayal. Clay has the most backstory of all; the others, rightly, are simply cannon fodder, although some are nice to look at, and others are annoying, clueless, etc., because the script requires them to be. Of them all, I enjoyed Padalecki the most, with Escarpeta running a close second. One scene with Escarpeta as he leafs through a Sears catalogue brings quite a few laughs, breaking up the tension of the film just when needed.
I haven’t mentioned Derek Mears (“The Hills Have Eyes”), who plays Jason with a vengeance, shedding any notion of a ‘stupid killer,’ instead portraying a man who plans carefully and kills indiscriminately. The deaths of the “Friday the 13th” series have hitherto been heralded for their creativity, so I will not ruin that by laying them out here. Suffice it to say, Jason is mean, horrific, and a force to be reckoned with here. We see shots of his elaborate below ground lair, complete with trip wires that alert the monster to camp goers’ presence, as well as abandoning his slow-witted gait for a full on run. Okay, I lied; I will spoil one shot, which is arguably one of the film’s creepiest. Jason stands silhouetted in the brush with a bow and arrow, which he has fired at a victim. This new Jason, we learn, can hunt, and is not at all the helpless deformity from Steve Miner’s original creation.
Gore wise, the film comes close to crossing the line a few times, but thankfully pulls back before crossing into “Texas Chainsaw”-esque territory. The kills are still relatively quick, and as such are not highlighted as in some ‘torture-porn’ films like “The Human Centipede” or the atrocious “Hostel II.” While one early death involving a campfire might be too much for some viewers, mostly the film, while upping Jason’s ferocity and intelligence, doesn’t use gross-out as its primary MO. Jason’s methods, however, still vary, and this time show his extreme adeptness and skill with weaponry, which should please newcomers to the series as well as fans.
One note: the soundtrack has been updated, featuring some pounding rock-esque scores in certain parts. Jason’s signature ‘chh chh chh haa haa haa’ is still present, but not as much in the forefront as with previous films. Overall the film has a very modern feel, all the way from its landscapes to its set pieces. But don’t worry; Jason’s iconic hockey mask is present, as is his machete and all the usual scares. As remakes go, you could do a lot worse than this one. It updates the legend adequately, with only one or two missteps along the way.
– by Mark Ziobro
