Friday the 13th (2009) Film Review

The Re-launching of Horror's Most Profitable Franchise

Mar 2, 2009

Director Marcus Nispel helms the return of Jason Vorhees, but was this ever going to be anything but another weak vehicle for an enduring fan-favourite?

So we can forego the conventional plot summary - we all know what happens in this film. Yes, there’s a 20-minute opening in which a warm-up group of weed-seekers recount the legend of Crystal Lake before they begin the body count, followed by a second group and a brother looking for his missing sister – but it’s basically the same as other Fridays.

Screenwriters Damian Shannon and Mark Swift

Naturally, the foundation of any film is the script and for a film like this that script is already half-written according to formula.

Despite the obvious efforts of Shannon and Swift to incorporate existing lore as well as do something different, there’s just not enough of a framework to support anything other than minor additions to the Jason character and setting of Crystal Lake, which will nonetheless be scrutinized by fans.

Some of these will undoubtedly irk those fans, because in this franchise all that matters is the treatment of it's only constant. Take, for example, the tentative one-time addition to Jason’s armament of a bow. Given the setting, a bow is not ill-conceived, but surely not well-advised. In a couple of sequals’ time we will be watching Rambo in a hockey mask and that might not be appreciated by the purists.

It would also be interesting to hear the thoughts of fans on the death scenes, which of course are the staple of the franchise alongside the man himself. Which is preferable here – creative, convoluted deaths and lots of blood, or straight-up machete-to-the-head and not much of the red stuff to be seen?

This latest version leans toward the latter, but attempts to satisfy both with predictably scattered results. The film seems full of conflicting interest to say the least and will definitely not satisfy lovers of gore, which is surprisingly tame by today's standards.

Derek Mears as Jason Vorhees and the Friday the 13th Cast

For a portion of the film, Jason appears in his traditional potato sack, but soon trades in for a well-fitted hockey mask. In keeping with the re-make principle, shouldn’t it be brought up to current NHL regulation? Still, Jason’s look is everything it should be.

But the big question is a tough one to answer: will the new man behind Jason find acceptance, especially among those who wanted for Kane Hodder’s return?

Embraced or not by devotees, Derek Mears makes for a fine Jason. While he’s no Hodder for sheer mass, Mears’ relatively trim 6’5 proportions work well with the idea of someone who actually chases his victims, but then that's another issue.

The rest of the characters are routine to the point of being completely forgettable. There were definitely people in this film. That much is certain. Only Amanda Righetti comes out with any credibility for her scenes as Jason’s traumatized prisoner.

With just the few exceptions of lead roles the rest of the many characters are slightly less than utterly reprehensible morons. Can we please dispense with the cautionary tale of teen/college-binging in horror? There’s nothing brutal or evil about killing these characters anymore. If anything it’s humane and Jason’s work should be government funded.

Initial reservations about Nispel were made clear in the Upcoming Horror Films articles, but the truth is that, like the screenwriters, Nispel’s hands were bound by the time-tested slasher formula.

Clearly, the film’s scenes followed an endlessly reworked script, capturing in a piecemeal fashion the gritty wavelength that may have been originally aimed for. With that said, the visuals – with a good colour palette throughout - are the best thing about this film.

There must be quality in this director, seeing as how he’s almost managed to make a fundamentally worthless exercise worthwhile and that’s no mean feat in itself. His Chainsaw Massacre was also one of the visually better re-makes.

Whatever good work that could’ve been done here is ultimately overwhelmed and undermined by the stereotype that the producers are apparently right to think the audience wants – right down to the inevitably cringe-worthy one-liner that doesn’t quite end the film because there’s one more scare before the credits.

But let’s not bicker and argue about who killed who. This is supposed to be a happy occasion.

Maybe it’s sentimentalism, or maybe there’s just no point in complaining anymore, but there’s something to be said for the staying power of the Friday films. Despite it all, there’s a warm fuzzy feeling that comes with seeing a hokey horror film top the Box Office – stealing the spotlight from all the beautiful people.

This franchise will now remain profitable for the foreseeable future (budgeted at $19 million, it has taken over $73 million worldwide according to the-numbers.com, as it now slips down the charts). So what comes next?

One way that this series can truly redeem itself would be through the continued dedication of a single director, as Rob Zombie has sought, and arguably succeeded, in doing with Halloween. But will Nispel return? No one seems too clear on that point just yet, so it might be a Suite 101 exclusive to say, ‘No Nispel for a Friday the 13th sequal.’

While screenwriters Shannon and Swift are drafting a follow-up – and promising to break from formula – Marcus Nispel has set to work on his next feature, which is an original sci/fi horror going by the name of Subterranean. Having already worked with J.T Petty to develop the concept, Nispel has recently teamed up with screenwriter Sean Hood, whose own article on how he got the job can be found Here.

With a Nightmare on Elm Street also due soon and the Wolf Man down the line, it looks like there’s no slowing the re-make machine, and thanks to the financial success of Friday Jason Vorhees will indeed keep coming back for more.

The copyright of the article Friday the 13th (2009) Film Review in Slasher Films is owned by Michael Pantazi. Permission to republish Friday the 13th (2009) Film Review in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Mar 3, 2009 9:33 AM

Guest :

Finally, a review that points out how good Amanda Righetti was in the movie. Her performance made the remake for me. She was riviting! I hope she is in the sequel.! Good review.