Well guys, it’s finally Friday the 13th, the infamous day of bad luck. And what better way to celebrate than by revisiting the classic slasher franchise of the same name? Yes, I know we’ve already reviewed an infamous entry from the franchise, but I’ve got something else planned. Before I get started, I should tell you that the Friday the 13th franchise officially ended in 2001 with Jason X. But only eight years later, the franchise underwent a fresh start, leading us to today’s entry.
A young man named Clay Miller (played by Jared Padalecki) is searching for his missing sister, Whitney (played by Amanda Rhigetti). Six weeks ago, she went missing after camping with her friends at Camp Crystal Lake. Meanwhile, spoiled rich frat boy Trent (played by Travis Van Winkle) and his annoying cronies, I mean friends, also go party at Crystal Lake. Following the party-goers, Clay begins to track down his sister’s whereabouts. But little do they know, Jason Voorhees (played by Derek Mears) lurks in the woods slowly picking the group apart.
So what do you do after a movie franchise has been inactive for almost a decade? If you said “try to cram as much crap as possible into the remake”, then you are right! The movie begins with Jason’s mother trying to kill the final camp counselor, only to be killed in self-defense. You know, what happened at the end of the very first Friday the 13th movie. Then for some reason, we get a group of teenagers telling us what we already saw. What happens to this group? Spoiler alert: they’re brutally killed off. And then we’re introduced to ANOTHER group of teenagers to actually kick off the story. Why do I need to see the first group of teenagers? You could start the movie with Clay’s search for Whitney and the story would still be the same.
The remake is however, surprisingly ahead of its time when we take a look at its casting. The Asian guy is a stoner and the antithesis of the successful minority trope while the black guy doesn’t die first. But when they do ultimately die, the movie goes out of its way to draw out their deaths. Compared to the white characters, who are more or less quickly killed off, I found this to be a bit unnecessary. And even though the Asian guy doesn’t fit into the role of the stereotypical nerd, he’s still portrayed as a loser. Thanks remake.
Alright, so the film is very clumsily structured. But there is one redeeming quality. No, I’m not talking about the nudity (although I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a plus). I’m talking about Jason Voorhees. Played by Derek Mears, who replaced the iconic Kane Hodder from the previous films, Jason is imagined to be an athletic, Rambo-like character. Believe it or not, I actually called him “Forest Batman” (the whole dead parents origin, training to become the ultimate physical specimen, you get it). And like Batman, remake Jason is mortal. He relies on quick bursts of speed, agility and most importantly of all, planning. He knows the layout of Camp Crystal Lake like the back of his hand, strategically takes people out and even sets traps for unwelcomed guests.
Something I’ve never realized in my very first viewing was how complex of a character Jason Voorhees is. As a child, he was frequently bullied by the other kids at Camp Crystal Lake due to his physical deformity. The only person to ever care for him was his mother. When Whitney is revealed to be alive, we find out that she’s kept by Jason because she resembles his mother. Every time she calls his name, he eagerly looks at her like a puppy looking at its master. And for a brief moment, you can see the deep sadness in his eyes. When he took on the role, Mears did substantial research on child psychology and soldiers who were separated from their unit and the trauma they undergo. It’s really impressive how comprehensive Mears was with the role of Jason Voorhees, someone who you’d think is just a guy in a hockey mask. Mears not only looked the part, but also truly understood his character.
2009’s Friday the 13th made about $93 million at the box office on a budget of only $19 million, making it a box office success. You’d think this would mean a sequel would be made. Well, it was. But due to the negative reception and a complicated franchise ownership between New Line Cinema and Paramount, the sequel never came to be. But in 2017, we did get a Friday the 13th survival horror game with a mixed reception. Even though this remake was far from perfect, it highlighted the complexity of Jason Voorhees. Despite being a villain, he’s not pure evil. He’s just a traumatized boy who wants to be left alone. So this Friday the 13th, please act responsibly. And avoid any places named Camp Crystal Lake.
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