Oh, that crazy Jason Voorhees is at it again! And this time he’s taking on preppy douchebags, stoners, and perverted rednecks within the Crystal Lake area. This time around, Jason’s learned a few tricks; he’s definitely been watching his Saw and Hostel movies in order to learn more elaborate ways to kill people.
The film keeps the tried and true ambiance of the franchise, but still has a fresh twist to it. Perhaps it’s the 2009 sensibility that makes the movie seem the same but somehow different.
Unlike the reboot of the Halloween franchise, this new Friday the 13th doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel. It’s not an origin story by any means. They expect viewers to know the history of the character; even the campfire story told at the start is quite brief and doesn’t elaborate much.
At the same time, it can’t be considered a remake like Texas Chainsaw Massacre since it doesn’t utilize similar plot conventions and elements inherent in both the remake and the Tobe Hooper cult classic.
So where does this Friday the 13th fit into the long-running franchise? Does it happen after Freddy vs. Jason? Are we to assume that Jason X (Jason in space) never happened? It feels like once of the sequels that came before Jason Goes to Hell. That’s what the overall experience was, in my opinion.
This being a 2009 film, the look of the film and production values are leaps and bound above the previous films. However, the storyline could be from a script from the 80s, minus the GPS references.
One of the primary differences, as mentioned above, is how much more active Jason is in this film as opposed to the previous films. He’s creative, skilled, and plots out his kills with care. They don’t feel coincidental or kills for the sake of killing; he really seems to care about how these young folks meet their demise. I guess a couple decades in the woods allows you to improve your craft.
And, like always, the minorities, stoners, horny couples, hot naked chicks, and jerks die graphic and horrific deaths. We wouldn’t have it any other way!
Since this is the Killer Cut, there are nine extra minutes of footage included in the film. Along with these extra scenes and sequences, the disappointing special features include the following:
The Rebirth of Jason Voorhees
A behind-the-scenes look at the making of the latest chapter in the series.
Additional Scenes
Scenes cut from the finished film. More plot! More gore! More boobies! (I’m kidding. There are no boobies in these deleted scenes.)
I’m truly surprised there is no audio commentary, blooper reel, or a featurette about the special effects involved with the various kills.
By now, films like Scream and Scary Movie have called-out slasher flicks on their formulaic and clichéd conventions. This makes creating a truly scary film in this genre a challenge. There aren’t a lot of jump-scares like those found in Drag Me to Hell; the shock comes in the graphic nature of many of the deaths. Perhaps we as a culture have become accustomed to shocking acts of violence in films that we are truly desensitized by its presence.
And that concludes my social commentary for this post.
Recommended for fans of the franchise, people who enjoy slasher flicks, and those you like to point out when horror movie rules are violated, Friday the 13th: The Killer Cut is a nice edition to this blood soaked franchise.
We’ll see what the sequel delivers and if they ever decide to make Freddy vs. Jason vs. Michael Myers!
For more Friday the 13th fun, check out the following link.