Studio: Warner Bros.

Reviewed by: Jonny Botsch

Never before has there been such an unnecessary reboot of a movie franchise. When your main movie monster is based in camp fire folklore, can be played by any actor because his face is covered by a hockey mask, and is basically immortal, there is little reason to update the franchise. Of course, if you're interests are simply money, as a producer you might shy away from a title like Jason X2 or Friday the 13th: Part XI. Sure, the reboot is a great way to get people back into the theatres, but if it ain’t broke...

Many of the staples of the Friday the 13th franchise are represented and overall the movie is pretty entertaining, but in reinventing the series, the filmmakers changed some of the very essence of what made Jason the character he is. Jason should walk. It doesn’t have to make sense how he catches up to people, but if he runs (as he does in this movie) he simply isn’t Jason. Jason is dumb like a dog and yet in this flick he lures people out with bait and has a series of floodlights rigged up around his house. Smart Jason just isn’t the Jason Voorhees we know. Using director Marcus Nispel, who had previously directed the reboot for Texas Chainsaw Massacre, seems like a strong choice. His visuals made Massacre a feast for the eye and he certainly made little attempt to make a tame studio picture. He may have forgotten what movie he was on though when he decided that Jason could have a network of underground tunnels that connect different parts of Camp Crystal Lake. As I saw all the “souvenirs” lined along the walls such as wheelchairs and backpacks, I was reminded more of the Texas Chainsaw movies than any previous Friday the 13th movie.

Beyond these dissections, it should be said that most fans of teen slasher movies will enjoy the movie as it was well made, but hardcore fans of Jason will mourn the loss of their favorite killer. The movie is still ambitious enough to try to cover the events of the first three movies in the series and throw so many titties at the screen you might just forget this entire review. This Friday the 13th reboot may be a decent movie in many ways, but just not in a Friday the 13th way.