SPLATTERdrome

Release Date: February 13th, 2009

Director: Marcus Nispel

Screenwriter: Damian Shannon & Mark Swift

Genre: Horror

When I first heard a Friday the 13th remake was in production it seemed like a grim prospect. Considering the streak of nearly unwatchable garbage New Line had already contributed to this franchise (and the news that the remake would be a Michael Bay production) I was certain this would be another misguided disappointment. Perhaps after watching all these movies my mind has finally snapped but, much to my surprise, I actually enjoyed it.

Friday the 13th is principally a reimagining of Part 2 that incorporates elements of the first four films. In this way it’s a best-of-both-worlds remake taking us from the death of Mrs. Voorhees (Part 1) to the discovery of the hockey mask (Part 3) in a few easy steps. It begins with two prelude sequences setting up the main action of the film, one of Mrs. Voorhees being decapitated and the other of the hooded adult Jason (a la Part 2) being introduced. These intros successfully establish the Jason character but are tainted by raunchy, forced dialogue and unappealing characters. It’s odd that these sequences feature such bad writing while the main film is pretty well constructed.

The main section of the film begins, as many do, with a group of well-meaning youths heading towards the camp. These are a typically unremarkable bunch gearing up for a stimulating weekend of partying at a nearby lake house. While gassing up their Escalade (they deserve to die already) they run into Clay, an homage to the Rob character from The Final Chapter, who is looking for his missing sister. This scene reveals how very archetypal our new shipment of teen veal are; blonde party girls, potheads, nerds, cocky assholes - collect the whole set! Despite the cliched characters I’m pleased that the dialogue and performances of the cast are both considerable upgrades over past films.

One of my favorite things about Friday the 13th is that the audience never sees Camp Crystal Lake open for business. We first encounter it during the second prelude and find that the camp has been closed for years and is now a dilapidated labyrinth occupied by our favorite recluse. Another huge improvement is Derek Mears as Jason who returns a degree of patient menace to the character. Serious kudos are due to the filmmakers for making Jason scary again, it’s the first time since 1988 that he inspired any sort of dread in the viewer.

In addition to commending Friday the 13th for its many improvements I must also say that it’s more of the same. Again, you know what to expect with a Friday film so these sequels must be judged by their particular nuances and execution. This one scores points with me for integrating several Classic Era film elements and returning the series to Camp Crystal Lake where it belongs. Regardless of its imperfections Friday the 13th feels like a project written by people who understood the roots of the franchise and producers who executed it with some level of care. This makes me more than willing to overlook the film’s lesser points.

As a lifelong fan of these movies all I’m looking for in a sequel is something that doesn’t take itself too seriously but still attempts to generate suspense and scares. Most of the later films made the mistake of reinventing the rules every time out and that’s not what fans are looking for. A quick tip for future Friday writers and directors: please keep Jason away from Freddy Krueger, New York City, and outer space. The lights need to stay on at Camp Crystal Lake and a steady stream of energetic, inadequately compensated young actors should be pouring onto the grounds at all times. Just keep things simple, have some fun and, above all else, respect your audience. I promise you we’ll keep coming back if you do.