With a Crystal Lake miniseries in development at Peacock, what better time than now to discuss the last time we saw Jason Vorhees on the big screen?
The last time we saw our “precious boy” was in the 2009 reboot that basically covered the narrative of the original trilogy of films. That film ended with (spoiler alert) everyone’s favorite mass murderer once again becoming “Zombie Jason” as his “lifeless” body dropped into the magical healing waters of Crystal Lake.
Just when you thought it was safe to camp once again, Jason was reborn for one last scare, leaping from the water to grab our final girl. That was the end of what was a promising reboot.
It could have made a franchise, but it didn’t.
Why?
I have heard tell of a rights war, overseas and at home. That, among many other things, is probably the truth. The truth is often muddled and messy. But all that aside, the reboot deserved a sequel.
For a fanbase longing for a return to form, the film delivered. The first 15 minutes, especially. Those who were there for the experience envisioned a perfect film to follow.
Their anti-hero was in good hands.
The rest of the film did not live up to the outstanding start, but it didn’t fall flat enough to be unrecommended. Was it perfect? No. It was clichéd (but that’s charming, isn’t it?). It was a retread (but in the best way possible). It was cheesy at times, but isn’t that a great way to bring the nostalgia without smacking you over the head with fan service?
“Ahhhh, just like the good ole days,” was the thought. There were strings and gimmicks all over part three, after all.
The good of the film far outweighed the bad.
Jared Padalecki’s, Clay Miller and Danielle Panabaker’s Jenna Montgomery were two of the best characters to ever grace slasher cinema. The duo’s performances grounded the film. It was less damsel and dumb jock and more distressed youth (ish).
Not a caricature, but real characters struggling to find solutions in a world surrounded by caricatures and machete-wielding maniacs. It was refreshing.
Still is, with every rewatch.
Let’s be real. The reason anyone watches a Friday the 13th movie is for the carnage candy, and Jason Vorhees. Derek Mears certainly unleashed a terrifying version of the character. It was scary because it seemed so, dare I say, real. Vorhees wasn’t a zombie or a mindless monster here. He was, very much, a mindful monster, a terrifying thought in a world full of mindful monsters.
Friday the 13th 2009 was a film that deserved better. It was a love letter and reimagining, and a film that deserved sequels. Or hear me out, how about a remake of the remake?
Is that too much to ask? Eh, they would probably just ruin it.