Despite the impact of the action, it too shows the signs of laziness that plague the script. Every kill has to feature a reveal of Jason lurking in the shadows right behind the victim -- as if he could sneak up on anyone in those clodhopper boots, and every "jump moment" is accompanied by an explosion of sound (or what I call the "Bay Boom") that makes you jump out of sheer aural trauma.
As I said, no one expects high art from a slasher, but there's only so much viewers can look past. If the writing was stronger, the characters more likeable or the action more believable, we might be able to forgive the other shortcomings, but all those issues and more make this hard to truly enjoy, despite the fabulous gore. As a slasher fan, I never thought I'd say this, but it takes more than blood 'n guts and T&A to make a good horror movie. Moviegoers today are a more savvy bunch than they were when the original Friday the 13th came out in 1980, and I'd like to think that we expect a bit more effort from our entertainment.
The Skinny
Jason (Derek Mears) in the remake 'Friday the 13th'.
Photo: John P. Johnson © Warner Bros.- Acting: C (Not helped by the inane dialogue, everyone seems to be sleepwalking through their flat characters.)
- Direction: B- (Intense but a bit too self-consciously edgy for the genre. A fine director, but perhaps not the right choice for this film.)
- Script: D- (The overall plot is OK, but the script itself is written with a sledgehammer.)
- Gore/Effects: B+ (The highlight of the film and really, it's raison d'etre.)
- Overall: C (Delivers the gory goods, but it's barely worth stumbling through the myriad of brain-dead elements.)
Friday the 13th is directed by Marcus Nispel and is rated R for strong bloody violence, some graphic sexual content, language and drug material. Release date: February 13, 2009.
