For a legend that started with a boy drowning in a lake, who would then become the iconic killer Jason Vorhees, the “Friday the 13th” series, like its antagonist, seemingly won’t die. “Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood,” directed by John Carl Buechler, while not as iconic or scary as some of the franchise’s earlier efforts, is still entertaining, and a solid way to spend Halloween. It features Jason, who is just as menacing as ever, the same lakeside location that serve as its killing grounds, and a twist in the way of a teenage girl who has a secret that makes her a match for the diabolical killer.
The plot for the film doesn’t differ much from any of the other “Friday the 13ths” in the series. A group of teenagers have rented a cabin at Camp Crystal Lake to celebrate their friends Michael’s (William Butler) birthday. Some of the chief players here are the good-intentioned Nick (Kevin Spirtas), spoiled Melissa (Susan Jennifer Sullivan), and a group of other party-goers. In the midst of this is Tina (Lar Park-Lincoln) and her mother (Susan Blu), and a psychologist, Dr. Crews, played with a deadpan seriousness by Terry Kisler of “Weekend at Bernie’s” fame.
What’s unique about “Friday the 13th: Part VII” is that the filmmakers finally give Jason a heroine to contend with, even if a hefty suspension of disbelief is needed to accept its premise. With some paved-over back story, we are shown that Tina, who lost her father at a young age in a mysterious incident at the camp, is brought back to the location by her mother and Dr. Crews. Along the way we are shown that Tina possesses a power of her own – telekinesis. We’re shown early feats such as her moving a matchbook on a table with her mind, with her power growing later in the film as her emotions intensify. And, in the film’s necessary plot point, it’s Tina who is responsible, through her telekinesis, of inadvertently freeing Jason from his burial at the bottom of Camp Crystal Lake.
Character-wise, with this film we see most of the standard tropes revisited: the pretty girl, the partier, the misfit, etc. Except while in previous “Friday the 13th” installments, such as “Part IV” or the excellent “Part III,” here the characters are glossed over and included for little more than cannon fodder. There’s no depth to any of them, with some attempts taken to develop Nick and Tina, but the others are thrown to the wayside. Even Dr. Crews, who for all intents and purposes can be considered a villain in the film, is given nothing in the way of motive or backstory. It’s as is the franchise’s filmmakers decided somewhere along the way that creative deaths were enough to cement a successful “Friday the 13th” film, but it loses something along the way. Without caring for most of the characters, the film is less scary than some of its predecessors.
The role of Jason is here taken over by stuntman/actor Kane Hodder, replacing C.J. Graham from “Part VI.” Hodder, who would play Jason in parts “8”,”9″, and “Jason X,” is also known for his roles in the “Hatchet” films. Here he brings menace to Jason, who is given the special effects treatment this time around. Buried under a lake for years (and killed multiple times over by countless teenagers) he is worse for wear. The costume design features tattered clothes, a huge chain hanging around his neck, and other touches like an exposed spine. Jason is no longer a man but a monster, and the filmmakers let us know it.
The film does have some creepy sequences and deaths, such as one instance where Jason is hidden in the corner of a room, exposed only with a brief flash of lightning, or another, as he stalks a girl through a barn with hanging weapons aplenty. Aside from these – and while the film does have many creative deaths involving such weapons as some kind of monstrous gas-powered saw and even a party horn – the slow, stalking factor has been abandoned in favor of quick deaths. And while the deaths are presented as entertainment, the series loses something along the way by shedding to the side the slow, creepy build-ups to attacks and the intricate use of its iconic score.
The bottom line: if you’re a fan of the “Friday the 13th” franchise you’ll be hard pressed to be disappointed here. Just don’t expect filmmaking, or suspense, on par with earlier installments.
– by Mark Ziobro
