[Prince_Vajda]

My reviews of the original and three of the sequels... almost three years old... Oh blimey, how time flies...

Originally Posted by Prince_Vajda

Friday the 13th (1980) * *
Watching the film 35 years later, one can only wonder why this totally unexceptional Slasher flick was a box office hit back in the day. Apart from pretty convincing special effects by Tom Savini and a highly effective Harry Manfredini score, the film has not very much to offer. It’s definitely not the worst example of its genre, but due to its bland ‘final girl’ (A.King) and dragging direction this Cunningham ‘classic’ is only mildly entertaining.

Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981) * * ½
Once more, Alice (A.King) is part of this sequel’s cast. Luckily, this time she’s not the final but the first girl (to get killed). For those who fell asleep, the first film’s ending is shown again. Although it’s not very inventive (the spear murder can be found in Bava’s brilliant '71 A Bay of Blood) and still pretty much a formulaic Slasher, this second part of the franchise is slightly more entertaining than its predecessor and has a much better pace. The ending is a real let-down, though.

Friday the 13th Part III (1982) * * ½
Slightly better than Part II, this third tale of the Voorhees saga was originally shot in 3D – and you can tell that a mile off. There’s a myriad of tools, weapons, and toys which are meant to look like they’re coming out of the screen. Maybe this was pretty neat in the few cinemas showing a 3D print of this flick back in the 80s. Today, however, all this gimmickry is a bit annoying. Other than that, Part III is pretty entertaining, and Richard Brooker is my hands down favourite Jason - his body language is awesome. A well-directed Slasher (with pretty good cinematography), and the only one of the original four parts to feature lots of slick third-person view shots of Jason. Recommended (with reservations).

Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984) * *
This fourth part mainly suffers from a slightly muddled plot. To make matters worse, all the boring ‘make out’ scenes almost turn this into a failed Teen Sex Comedy. Corey Feldman’s performance as Tommy Jarvis is impressive, though, and the ending is violent and intense. Pretty good special effects by Tom Savini, and the highest body count of the original four Fridays – thirteen in total.