Friday the 13th: Review By Renesis

In 1980 audiences were greeted with Victor Miller's and Sean Cunnigham's vision of a different kind of movie; a movie whose primary intentions were to scare the living hell out of you every moment the chance presented itself, and for better or worse, it was a success because if it weren't Sean Cunningham and more importantly Victor Miller wouldn't be as proud as they are of this little idea as they are today.

Enter 2009, we're now greeted with a contemporary vision of that very same movie only utilized and executed in ways that are entirely different in it's own right that it actually fits the bill of the reboot/remake niche that so many directors, producers, and Hollywood itself seems to be so infatuated with for reasons I wish not to disclose in this particular review. Reviewers whether professional or amateur are stagnant on reviewing Friday the 13th for all the wrong, and the most insincerely boneheaded reasons anyone could ever want to hear; so what if weed grew in Crystal Lake - it's a staple in this age, and as the saying goes "everyone does it." These staples are placed in the movie to give you a sense of relation to the film, do you think rap was a staple for the original film? No, and neither was marijuana, don't focus on that and extrapolate it as being Jason (Derek Mears) growing it himself or in-between takes all of the cast and crew smoked and it was finally decided it should be used as a set piece, or saying other such things as marijuana never grew in Crystal Lake - can you prove such a thing, in fact, such a thing wasn't focused on in the original movies because it simply was not important. Another thing being "Jason never ran!" something that's so incredibly false it makes no sense whatsoever, and moost importantly one of the most famous ill-thought out and half-witted comments being "There's too much sex." or "It ended up being a porno with a killer on the loose." First things first, this was a mechanic established since the first movie and it serves as the basis of why Jason drowned, it's perfectly harmonic - you have sex and you die. It's been there since 1980, sure it might be a little bit more "adult" these days but nothing can and never will stay the same. So, you're deciding to complain about it now?

Aside from these few particular annoyances (and there are more, but it seems I'm folding astray from the original intent of this entry) and that is to review a movie I enjoyed, and have seen more than once. If you've seen all of the original installments as many times as I have, you were able to sit with a peace of mind in the movie theater knowing who each and every character was supposed to be portraying despite the fact they are entirely new people. There were constant and subtle hints that alerted you to the fact that neither Marcus Nispel or Damian Shannon and Mark Swift had no such intentions of violating so many of the plot themes that the original movies established. Instead we're greeted with a leaner Jason, a Jason that is undoubtedly more pervasive and violent than he has ever been for one specific reason - this is a new Jason and as such he must be handled in such a way that while watching this movie you're prone to memory loss when, or if someone were to ask you who has portrayed the fabled character before Derek.

Plenty of homages are in the movie further hinting at the notion that it is in fact a Friday the 13th movie, and not a butchered film bearing the same name. One particular homage I truly enjoyed was that of Jason piercing Chewie's neck with a screwdriver and afterward the ceiling lamp is swaying back and forth, reminiscent of the original Friday the 13th when Pamela plants an axe into Marcie's face and the previously mentioned end-effect is applied.

In the end, I sincerely felt that Derek Mears is, and as long as he is contracted, will continue to be the best portrayal of the character because he offers so many new things to the character, but one particular stands out - a visceral relation. Outcasts can relate to Jason "the victim" because there are outcasts everywhere, that one group or person that is excluded from something because of many various reasons, and has grown up to be better than those who excluded them from their activities only to return the favor, and within that statement lies the nature of the personality or morale, if you will, that was applied to Jason in this particular installment even moreso than the previous films. Jason has grown up only to avenge the error that was the death of his mother (despite the incredibly credible fact she was a loon.), and strives to exclude anyone by ending their lives for trespassing on his territory. It's as Rosemary Knower's character states: "He just wants to be left alone."

In closing it is realized this is not the conventional means of a review; I've decided to take an approach that no one I have yet to discover takes - a direct approach. Picking at the movie for what it is, not what I wanted it to be. Could it have been longer, or could Jason or the leading roles have had more of a mainstay presence in the film? Absolutely, but for what the movie actually offered it doesn't really matter because the franchise I grew up with and have researched for countless hours because of a real interest, I never once felt violated as if any aspect of the movie established anything that doomed the movie. For that the movie rightfully deserves five stars all around. Why? Simply because nothing was immediately changed and yet everything has changed to the point where it really has nothing to do with the original movie other than what's permanently established, the surroundings, the acting, and most important thing being Mears' portrayal of my favorite horror character has left me feeling that I've always been right - the best people to use for specific movies (i.e. comic book, horror, or action/adventure...namely James Bond) are fans who grew up with these characters knowing them inside and out.

Can it replace the original(s)? I'd be an outright fool to say yes to that, as I would be a fool to assert it is as tall as the original movie was. What I will say is it is the best Friday the 13th to hit the screens since The New Blood, or to be even more honest, Jason Lives (a personal favorite for many reasons.) In the end I gave this movie five stars all around as previously mentioned because of what it is, the movie itself, not what it should be compared to another film in the same genre. Now, do I want a sequel? You'd better bet your ass I do.