MOVIE REVIEW: "FRIDAY THE 13TH"
"Friday The 13th"
By: Lee Rice
When a remake is released, there is usually a flurry of resentment from some people who loved the original movie. They feel that the very idea of a remake is an insult to the original film, implying that it wasn’t done well enough, and that the new filmmaker feels he can top it.
I’ve never felt that way. In some cases a remake is a chance to show a classic story with modern special effects. Other times, it can focus on another aspect of the original idea, creating new and unforeseen depth to a series that may have lacked it before, as with Rob Zombie’s excellent remake of "Halloween." Other times, it’s a way for a filmmaker to express his love for something he’s grown up with by telling the story how it looks through his eyes, in some ways echoing the way stories change when passed down orally.
That said, this remake is shit.
There’s really no other way to say it.
Let’s examine the original movies for a moment. They started out as a nifty little films that managed to combine the brilliant special effects expertise of Tom Savini with a fun little Scooby-Doo-esque whodunnit. Tension built as the number of people dwindled, and the movie ended with a surprise twist as it was discovered that all the killings were the work of a deranged parent. Later, Jason was introduced into the series, but did not take on his now classic mask until the third movie, gradually transforming into the unstoppable super predator that we all know and love. As the sequels progressed, the series began experiencing extreme fluctuations, but fans were willing to sit through the bad (Parts 5, 7, 8, Jason Goes to Hell, Jason X), for the good (Part 6, Freddy vs. Jason).
A remake brought with it the promise of something new: a leaner, faster Jason that would take him back to his roots as a living, breathing monster rather than the super zombie of later entries.
They have completely flubbed it. Whereas the originals were excellent campy fun, the remake completely ditches the feel of the originals to try and deliver a serious, hard hitting slasher flick. Unfortunately, all they do is create a stupid, muddled mess with characters you won’t remember five minutes after you’ve left the theater, not to mention hyperkinetic shakeycam quick cuts, and some of the most generic, undistinguished death scenes ever placed on film.
Basically, Jason Vorhees is completely superfluous in this film. They could stick in any masked killer, and nobody would notice the difference. In fact, having Jason in this film has worked against it by turning him into an idiotic, watered-down version of himself.
Will fans of the series get some fun out of this? Maybe. God knows, some people actually liked the new "Texas Chainsaw Massacre."
Will newcomers enjoy it? Probably, but only until they start watching some of the older ones.
The sad fact is that the new "Friday the 13th" is yet another example of Hollywood’s new credo of style over substance, providing us with a film that is the antithesis of everything we liked about the original.
On the other hand, who knows? Maybe the box office success of this one will inspire people to make a decent sequel to the original series.
Final Verdict: D+
