(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“A group of young adults visit a boarded-up campsite named Crystal Lake where they soon encounter the mysterious Jason Voorhees and his deadly intentions.”
What’s important in critiquing any Horror franchise is to – first and foremost – realize that logic must be left on the doorstep.
You see, things happen in Horror films that defy logic; and generally speaking, they happen because they’re ritualistic, exploitative, or just damn fun. 1+1 doesn’t always equal 2, and this structure is exactly what allows both the protagonist and the antagonist to function in such a way that they craft their own means of the respective existences. The killer defies death – sometimes over multiple occasions – and even the basic laws of physics, if necessary to complete a task; and the victims – while certainly far from squeaky clean – have to be guilty of some major or minor atrocity if their deaths are to have any narrative significance. They don’t just die; on some level, they must deserve it.
That’s why thinking about a decades old intellectual oddity like Friday The 13th – a franchise that some suggest grew out of global disenfranchisement with ‘the system’ or the ‘status quo’ that doesn’t hold guilty parties responsible any longer for the crime they commit – there is a mythological foundation. According to the legend as crafted by Victor Miller and Ron Kurz in the 1980 original, young Jason Voorhees drowned at Camp Crystal Lake when the counselors who should’ve been guaranteeing his safety were off engaging in behaviors that consume folks of that age such as drinking, drugging, and necking. While Jason does make an appearance in that first film, a good deal of the revenge killing is accomplished by his emotionally scarred mother (as played by Betsy Palmer). Thus, it’s clearly established that these irresponsible youngsters are paying the price for what grievances those of their generation have inflicted upon the rest of us.
So, in this odd switcheroo, it’s Jason Voorhees who becomes the continuing hero of the ongoing film saga. (Yes, yes, yes: I realize some cast him as an antihero, but that’s an argument for a different day.) Like Jesus Christ himself, Jason transcends death; and he returns to the mortal plane intent upon balancing the scales that have been tilted in favor of evildoers no matter where he finds himself, be it Crystal Lake, Manhattan, or even Outer Space. Much like the Nietzschean idea of the Ubermensch, the seminal Voorhees has created his own way of life based entirely on what lessons he’s learned from his past. As this unstoppable righter of wrongs, he’ll stop at nothing to carry out any sentence as the judge, jury, and executioner; and audiences have celebrated his methods from the beginning.
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“A group of young adults visit a boarded-up campsite named Crystal Lake where they soon encounter the mysterious Jason Voorhees and his deadly intentions.”
What’s important in critiquing any Horror franchise is to – first and foremost – realize that logic must be left on the doorstep.
You see, things happen in Horror films that defy logic; and generally speaking, they happen because they’re ritualistic, exploitative, or just damn fun. 1+1 doesn’t always equal 2, and this structure is exactly what allows both the protagonist and the antagonist to function in such a way that they craft their own means of the respective existences. The killer defies death – sometimes over multiple occasions – and even the basic laws of physics, if necessary to complete a task; and the victims – while certainly far from squeaky clean – have to be guilty of some major or minor atrocity if their deaths are to have any narrative significance. They don’t just die; on some level, they must deserve it.
That’s why thinking about a decades old intellectual oddity like Friday The 13th – a franchise that some suggest grew out of global disenfranchisement with ‘the system’ or the ‘status quo’ that doesn’t hold guilty parties responsible any longer for the crime they commit – there is a mythological foundation. According to the legend as crafted by Victor Miller and Ron Kurz in the 1980 original, young Jason Voorhees drowned at Camp Crystal Lake when the counselors who should’ve been guaranteeing his safety were off engaging in behaviors that consume folks of that age such as drinking, drugging, and necking. While Jason does make an appearance in that first film, a good deal of the revenge killing is accomplished by his emotionally scarred mother (as played by Betsy Palmer). Thus, it’s clearly established that these irresponsible youngsters are paying the price for what grievances those of their generation have inflicted upon the rest of us.
So, in this odd switcheroo, it’s Jason Voorhees who becomes the continuing hero of the ongoing film saga. (Yes, yes, yes: I realize some cast him as an antihero, but that’s an argument for a different day.) Like Jesus Christ himself, Jason transcends death; and he returns to the mortal plane intent upon balancing the scales that have been tilted in favor of evildoers no matter where he finds himself, be it Crystal Lake, Manhattan, or even Outer Space. Much like the Nietzschean idea of the Ubermensch, the seminal Voorhees has created his own way of life based entirely on what lessons he’s learned from his past. As this unstoppable righter of wrongs, he’ll stop at nothing to carry out any sentence as the judge, jury, and executioner; and audiences have celebrated his methods from the beginning.
Still, it can’t be easy for any crusader to evolve as the times are always a’changin’. As I suggested, Jason’s invention – whether we agree on precisely why he was created or not – remains a cultural event, an instinctual reaction to the signs of the times; but – in 2009 with the release of Friday The 13th, a loose reboot if ever there were – we are not the same folks we were back in 1980. There’s been a lot of water under that bridge, and we’ve evolved (to some degree) as a society. How might those differences be accounted for? What alterations might be required in order the horrific champion to still fit in as naturally as possible? Thus, the task for screenwriters Damian Shannon, Mark Swift, and Mark Wheaton might not have been as monumental as re-envisioning, say, Citizen Kane (1941), but it still came with challenges.
The result, thankfully, is to remain mostly true to the bones of the original body: this Voorhees isn’t all that different from the ones who came before, and he still finds himself surrounded by young’uns(ish) who can’t quite behave as responsibly as perhaps they should. Kids still trespass. They still do things they’ve been specifically told not to. They swear, and they reject authority, and they flash their middle finger to ‘the man.’ They drink and smoke and rebel because they can, not because they should. They don’t look twice before crossing the street. It’s a wonder they ever make it to adulthood, but – in the universe where Jason Voorhees exists – not all of them do.
The inescapable problem, though, in pushing any story forward is that sometimes – as is the case in this Friday the 13th installment – Jason just kills because he can, and that’s just not proper nor respectful of the established mythology.
The film opens with a twenty-minute vignette essentially meant to underscore that the Crystal Lake legend lives on: a group of five expendables are hiking in search of the famed summer spot which has also been rumored to now grow some of the best marijuana available. As was the case in those days of old, these trespassers engage in the usual lascivious behavior that catches the attention of the original watcher in the woods; and it isn’t long before the estimable Mr. Voorhees shows up – with a slightly different appearance than remembered (but I won’t spoil it) – and dispenses his bloody brand of justice. Afterwards, there’s a quick fade-to-black, the requisite title card, and – when the lights come up – the audience is introduced to another group of wandering rebel rousers, all headed for – ahem – the same vacation destination.
At a roadside minimart, this group encounters Clay Miller (Jared Padalecki), a young man in search of his missing sister Whitney (Amanda Righetti) whom was one of the apparently victims of the film’s opening chapter. Because he’s a bit too virtuous and responsible, Clay doesn’t fit in with this bunch, so he’s automatically ostracized and belittled by the assembly’s Alpha Male, Trent (Travis Van Winkle). Respectfully, Clay sticks to his business and parts ways with them, but anyone who’s seen any Horror film of this type knows full well that these two will inevitably come together later in the picture where sparks will fly yet again.
The result, thankfully, is to remain mostly true to the bones of the original body: this Voorhees isn’t all that different from the ones who came before, and he still finds himself surrounded by young’uns(ish) who can’t quite behave as responsibly as perhaps they should. Kids still trespass. They still do things they’ve been specifically told not to. They swear, and they reject authority, and they flash their middle finger to ‘the man.’ They drink and smoke and rebel because they can, not because they should. They don’t look twice before crossing the street. It’s a wonder they ever make it to adulthood, but – in the universe where Jason Voorhees exists – not all of them do.
The inescapable problem, though, in pushing any story forward is that sometimes – as is the case in this Friday the 13th installment – Jason just kills because he can, and that’s just not proper nor respectful of the established mythology.
The film opens with a twenty-minute vignette essentially meant to underscore that the Crystal Lake legend lives on: a group of five expendables are hiking in search of the famed summer spot which has also been rumored to now grow some of the best marijuana available. As was the case in those days of old, these trespassers engage in the usual lascivious behavior that catches the attention of the original watcher in the woods; and it isn’t long before the estimable Mr. Voorhees shows up – with a slightly different appearance than remembered (but I won’t spoil it) – and dispenses his bloody brand of justice. Afterwards, there’s a quick fade-to-black, the requisite title card, and – when the lights come up – the audience is introduced to another group of wandering rebel rousers, all headed for – ahem – the same vacation destination.
At a roadside minimart, this group encounters Clay Miller (Jared Padalecki), a young man in search of his missing sister Whitney (Amanda Righetti) whom was one of the apparently victims of the film’s opening chapter. Because he’s a bit too virtuous and responsible, Clay doesn’t fit in with this bunch, so he’s automatically ostracized and belittled by the assembly’s Alpha Male, Trent (Travis Van Winkle). Respectfully, Clay sticks to his business and parts ways with them, but anyone who’s seen any Horror film of this type knows full well that these two will inevitably come together later in the picture where sparks will fly yet again.
From here, the plot of this Friday pretty much devolves into the usual nonsense, the kind of antics where the conscripted young people go about showing how irresponsible they can be – all necessary acts in order to justify Jason’s forthcoming death sentences – so there’s little sense in making much ado about any of it. Yes, they drink, they smoke, they fornicate, and it’s handled with the usual glorification one expects when attending the cinema. (FYI: Julianna Guill’s lovemaking prowess is particular effective – it might make some blush – though I suspect it was overplayed a bit for minor comic effect.) The earnest Clay gets deeper and deeper into the local scene, and he slowly learns that something is most definitely amiss in this mostly backwoods rural township.
Beyond the mechanics of the plot, however, Friday starts to devolve into little more than a slasher project with some modest upgrades.
Clearly, director Marcus Nispel and the screenwriters wanted a bit more structure to the world of Jason Voorhees, and they flesh it out, first, by giving the Crystal Lake legend more depth with the locals and, second, by treating the character as more than the sum of just a glorified killer. In this context, Jason becomes a modestly skilled hunter – someone far more in touch with his surroundings and the associated terrain. Underground tunnels are introduced as the explanation for how he’s always able to outpace his fleeing victims; and the mythology is given almost superhero association by giving our hero/antihero his own – ahem – Batcave, a place from which he can coordinate his vast, crime-fighting enterprise.
While much of this substance never really gets in the way of Friday inevitably doing its thing – meaning dispatching these young knuckleheads in the prime of their short-lived and otherwise insignificant lives – the script violates the long-established moral code Jason had somewhat lived by: in a few instances, he just kills for killing’s sake, even though the victim has done nothing wrong.
As an example, early in the picture Clay stumbles across a local barn where he wants to post a flyer regarding his missing sister. Inside, he finds Donnie (Kyle Davis) at work feeding tree trimmings into the obligatory woodchipper. (Yes, rest assured you’re going to see this thing again … but with less wood!) Eventually, Clay leaves, but it isn’t much later when Jason shows up to kill Donnie for, alas, no apparent reason other than he could accomplish the dark deed. Whereas the previous film installments (to varying degrees) had suggested Jason’s wrath was reserved for those who had either wronged him or wider society in some way, Donnie comes off a simpleton who was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Though there’s a loose hint at something more, it’s never explained enough to make much sense; and his murder, sadly, is little more than pure exploitation.
Furthermore, Shannon and Swift’s script never quite clarifies why a few locals seem to be very aware of Jason’s legendary exploits whilst the police – represented by Officer Bracke (the great Richard Burgi) – seem almost blissfully ignorant of it. How could he not know? I realize that there’s been a passage of time since the original incidents, but if the townies are still talking it up then wouldn’t the authorities minimally reference it from time to time? You’d think – what with all of the missing persons reports tied to the area – someone with a badge might take significant notice of even what remains to an urban/rural legend, but such attention would stretch beyond the bounds of what’s usually part and parcel of the finished product. (Never forget: logic is the great Achilles’ Heel of this whole damn genre.)
None of these complaints are meant to suggest that Friday doesn’t fit within the greater cinematic universe of Jason Voorhees because, meh, that’s inaccurate. It does, but it just doesn’t make this reviewer all that pleased with the reinvention. The film is full of efficiently shot sequences – along with a few very solid jump scares – and the cinematography, settings, lighting, and performances are respectfully stylish, maybe occasionally even a bit too much for Horror. At times, the picture tries to suggest that it’s as much a remake as it is a continuation, so much so that initially I struggled with figuring out exactly what all involved wanted me to make of this adventure. Ultimately, treating it as a continuation – ignoring a good deal of the silliness that was Friday The 13th: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989), Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday (1993), and Jason X (2001) – of the earlier entries work just fine. In fact, methinks that’s the only way any of it makes as perfect sense as is humanly possible.
Beyond the mechanics of the plot, however, Friday starts to devolve into little more than a slasher project with some modest upgrades.
Clearly, director Marcus Nispel and the screenwriters wanted a bit more structure to the world of Jason Voorhees, and they flesh it out, first, by giving the Crystal Lake legend more depth with the locals and, second, by treating the character as more than the sum of just a glorified killer. In this context, Jason becomes a modestly skilled hunter – someone far more in touch with his surroundings and the associated terrain. Underground tunnels are introduced as the explanation for how he’s always able to outpace his fleeing victims; and the mythology is given almost superhero association by giving our hero/antihero his own – ahem – Batcave, a place from which he can coordinate his vast, crime-fighting enterprise.
While much of this substance never really gets in the way of Friday inevitably doing its thing – meaning dispatching these young knuckleheads in the prime of their short-lived and otherwise insignificant lives – the script violates the long-established moral code Jason had somewhat lived by: in a few instances, he just kills for killing’s sake, even though the victim has done nothing wrong.
As an example, early in the picture Clay stumbles across a local barn where he wants to post a flyer regarding his missing sister. Inside, he finds Donnie (Kyle Davis) at work feeding tree trimmings into the obligatory woodchipper. (Yes, rest assured you’re going to see this thing again … but with less wood!) Eventually, Clay leaves, but it isn’t much later when Jason shows up to kill Donnie for, alas, no apparent reason other than he could accomplish the dark deed. Whereas the previous film installments (to varying degrees) had suggested Jason’s wrath was reserved for those who had either wronged him or wider society in some way, Donnie comes off a simpleton who was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Though there’s a loose hint at something more, it’s never explained enough to make much sense; and his murder, sadly, is little more than pure exploitation.
Furthermore, Shannon and Swift’s script never quite clarifies why a few locals seem to be very aware of Jason’s legendary exploits whilst the police – represented by Officer Bracke (the great Richard Burgi) – seem almost blissfully ignorant of it. How could he not know? I realize that there’s been a passage of time since the original incidents, but if the townies are still talking it up then wouldn’t the authorities minimally reference it from time to time? You’d think – what with all of the missing persons reports tied to the area – someone with a badge might take significant notice of even what remains to an urban/rural legend, but such attention would stretch beyond the bounds of what’s usually part and parcel of the finished product. (Never forget: logic is the great Achilles’ Heel of this whole damn genre.)
None of these complaints are meant to suggest that Friday doesn’t fit within the greater cinematic universe of Jason Voorhees because, meh, that’s inaccurate. It does, but it just doesn’t make this reviewer all that pleased with the reinvention. The film is full of efficiently shot sequences – along with a few very solid jump scares – and the cinematography, settings, lighting, and performances are respectfully stylish, maybe occasionally even a bit too much for Horror. At times, the picture tries to suggest that it’s as much a remake as it is a continuation, so much so that initially I struggled with figuring out exactly what all involved wanted me to make of this adventure. Ultimately, treating it as a continuation – ignoring a good deal of the silliness that was Friday The 13th: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989), Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday (1993), and Jason X (2001) – of the earlier entries work just fine. In fact, methinks that’s the only way any of it makes as perfect sense as is humanly possible.
Sticking true to one of Horror’s biggest conventions, this Friday delivers a solid turn for Righetti to be ‘Final Girl,’ and in some ways it feels like a respectable progression for where this franchise began. (There’s some footage early that is intended to lightly reshape the first film, and it’s quite good.) Mothers love their sons and vice versa … or that’s the way it was all intended. The last reel functions the way it should, dishing out one last twist that mirrors thematically what this franchise’s storytellers first began all those years back in 1980.
Friday The 13th (2009) was produced by New Line Cinema, Paramount Pictures, Platinum Dunes, Crystal Lake Entertainment, and Sean S. Cunningham Films. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Arrow Films. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I thought that the provided sights-and-sounds were nothing short of fantastic. Dare I say? This might be the best Jason has ever looked, and that’s impressive. Lastly, as for the special features? This limited edition two-disc set includes two different cuts of the flick along with new audio commentaries and a wealth of behind-the-scenes extras that should make long-time fans happy for a revisit even if you found the story a bit underwhelming. Still, it might be ‘the release’ for completists, though I’d be hard-pressed to encourage casual viewers and buyers to make the investment.
Mildly recommended.
Look, there’s something to the whole idea of a young boy losing his life getting resurrected to fight for his own justice, and yet a good deal of Friday The 13th (2009) leans differently. In here, the inestimable Jason Voorhees doesn’t have much stake in these killings; and, instead, there’s only loose and predictable associations tied to why he felt it necessary to come out of these woods and enact a whole new campaign of terror. Maybe I was expecting him to be a bit older and wiser – it has been a few decades, you know – but it still seemed like he’d lost some of his luster and was murdering this cast because they were, mostly, so frivolous and unlikable. At this point, wouldn’t some real estate mogul scarfed up such prime real estate as Camp Crystal Lake and turn it into a resort destination, thus driving our hero/antihero out of the slashing business? Who in the hell holds the lease, for Pete’s sake?
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Arrow Films provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray copy of Friday The 13th (2009) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
Friday The 13th (2009) was produced by New Line Cinema, Paramount Pictures, Platinum Dunes, Crystal Lake Entertainment, and Sean S. Cunningham Films. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Arrow Films. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I thought that the provided sights-and-sounds were nothing short of fantastic. Dare I say? This might be the best Jason has ever looked, and that’s impressive. Lastly, as for the special features? This limited edition two-disc set includes two different cuts of the flick along with new audio commentaries and a wealth of behind-the-scenes extras that should make long-time fans happy for a revisit even if you found the story a bit underwhelming. Still, it might be ‘the release’ for completists, though I’d be hard-pressed to encourage casual viewers and buyers to make the investment.
Mildly recommended.
Look, there’s something to the whole idea of a young boy losing his life getting resurrected to fight for his own justice, and yet a good deal of Friday The 13th (2009) leans differently. In here, the inestimable Jason Voorhees doesn’t have much stake in these killings; and, instead, there’s only loose and predictable associations tied to why he felt it necessary to come out of these woods and enact a whole new campaign of terror. Maybe I was expecting him to be a bit older and wiser – it has been a few decades, you know – but it still seemed like he’d lost some of his luster and was murdering this cast because they were, mostly, so frivolous and unlikable. At this point, wouldn’t some real estate mogul scarfed up such prime real estate as Camp Crystal Lake and turn it into a resort destination, thus driving our hero/antihero out of the slashing business? Who in the hell holds the lease, for Pete’s sake?
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Arrow Films provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray copy of Friday The 13th (2009) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
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