Friday the 13th gets the remake treatment from Platinum Dunes, and the film feels like what a Friday the 13th flick should – lots of gore, a silent Jason stalking around, and a throwaway plot filled with throwaway actors.
Directed by Marcus Nispel (who handled directing chores on Platinum Dunes remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre), Friday the 13th follows the established blueprint so much so that it feels more like another chapter in the film’s franchise than a remake. There are several changes made to the franchise’s back story (Jason’s momma isn’t the killer, and Jason isn’t as slow as past films), but they are not enough to make the film feel fresh.
Following a flashback that shows a young Jason watching his mother losing her head, the film kicks off with a group of young adults/teens enjoying a campout next to the old abandoned kids’ camp at Crystal Lake (where Jason supposedly drowned as a kid). Camp Crystal Lake also just happens to be next to a huge marijuana field (odd place for a children’s camp) – which is the real reason two of the teens have decided on the camping trip.
The film quickly fulfills some of the needed horror elements as one of the campers starts getting high, two start having sex in a tent, and two go wandering off into the dark woods for some nighttime hiking. It doesn’t take long for Jason to show up and inform them that he doesn’t like trespassers (it appears he has staked out Camp Crystal Lake as his home and kills anyone who goes near it).
The film then jumps a few weeks with a new group of college kids heading off to spend the weekend at one of the parents’ lake house – which happens to sit right next to Camp Crystal Lake. The group also crosses paths with Clay Miller (Jared Padalecki) – who is looking for his sister (Amanda Righetti). It appears Clay’s sister (who was part of the campers) was taken by Jason because she looked like his mama and he decided to keep her chained in his subterranean lair.
Rich boy Trent (Travis Van Winkle) doesn’t care for Clay or the way his girlfriend Jenna (Danielle Panabaker) looks at Clay. He gets even more upset when she goes off into the woods to help Clay look for his sister. Trent finds some comfort from Jenna’s friend Bree (Julianna Guill) while the other two guys use the free-time to get stoned with a massive bong. While that is going on, Nolan (Ryan Hansen) and Chelsea (Willa Ford) head to the lake for some topless water skiing.
All of the characters are pretty much annoying and thankfully it doesn’t take long for Jason to show up and start doing what he does best. He also takes the time to kill a local scumbag – which basically just serves as a way for him to get rid of the flour sack (which I thought looked really cool) and don the iconic hockey mask.
The film moves along at the predictable pace with Jason slowly stalking and taking out all of the annoying college kids. You are supposed to be cheering for the college kids, but they were all so annoying I was looking forward to Jason killing them – especially Trent.
Jason whittles his way through the group with the normal flare for killing in creative ways, and eventually ends up with just Clay and his sister. This leads to another formulaic last stand fight between the silent killer and Clay.
I actually liked Marcus Nispel’s The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and thought it did a good job remaking the original. It scrapped the grainy documentary feel of the 1974 classic, and gave it a slick modern feel – despite keeping the story set in the 70s. The director does a decent job with this remake, but doesn’t push the story in any original way. This film could have just as easily been another sequel rather than a “remake.”
Nispel and company do change-up Jason to some degrees – he lives underground in a huge labyrinth of caves and tunnels; he is smarter than the classic lumbering Jason; and he now runs fast – but it wasn’t enough to make the film feel fresh.
I also enjoyed Derek Mears’ work as the man behind the hockey mask. With only one eye exposed beneath the mask, Mears seems to be able to capture some of the evil needed to play the character, and seems to really enjoy cutting his way through the college kids.
Although it has some entertaining moments, this film will not capture the iconic status of the original. The movie isn’t horrible, but it is easily forgettable. You don’t care about any of the college kids (did you ever care for any of Jason’s victims), and it is a chore just trying to keep up with their names.
Padalecki does a solid job in the film, but I kept wishing he was playing his Supernatural character Sam Winchester and that Jensen Ackles' Dean Winchester would show up in the black 1967 Chevrolet Impala to take on Jason together. Now that would have made a cool film. Instead of all these remakes, let’s get the Winchester boys on the big screen hunting down Freddy, Leatherface, Michael Myers and Jason.
Regardless of how you like the plot, the film looks great on Blu-ray, and the crystal clear picture actually helps sell the violence on screen. On some horror films, Blu-ray’s picture hurts the enjoyment due to the blood looking fake or the effects not looking real enough. Friday the 13th works on Blu-ray and feels like a slick fast-paced thrill ride.
The film is available in the theatrical cut and a “Killer Cut” with about nine more minutes of footage. I watched the “Killer Cut” so I am not sure what the big difference between the two cuts was. There are also some decent special features that take a look at bringing Jason back to life on the big screen, how the film was shot, and why they wanted to do the remake. It also has the function of jumping straight to the film’s best killing scenes.
The Blu-ray also features a trivia track that runs as a Picture-In-Picture function and a BD Live sneak peek of Trick ‘r Treat.
The remake of Friday the 13th is not a bad horror film, but there is nothing that sets it apart from all the other Friday the 13th films or any slash flick that has come out since Black Christmas, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Halloween kick started the genre. If you are a fan of the franchise, you will enjoy the movie, but don’t expect anything original.
Friday the 13th (Killer Cut) [Blu-ray] is now available at Amazon . Visit the DVD database for more information.
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