Friday, May 13, 2016

Quick Holiday Reviews: Friday the 13th (2009)

After covering so many of the weird Sequels, I thought I'd jump ahead to the most recent one from 2009...
In a 1980 Flashback, we see a version of the end of the Original Film.  For the second Film in a row, they can't get the original Actress.

The change- Jason is a young man who witnesses the killing...and waits years to do anything.
Now in 2009, some assholes go looking for a Pot Farm.  At least they aren't going to party, I guess.

After they're all seemingly-dead, the Title Card appears.  What are you, a Christopher Nolan Film?!?
This Jason hangs around the Camp, since people haven't been opening it every year after all of the murders.  Is that logic I see?
A month after the events of the opening, some new folks go to a Cabin near the Lake.  Just to be clear: this rich guy's Family owns a Cabin by the Lake...by a Summer Camp.  Sure.

Oh and they brought some ethnic folks...even if the latter was cast last-minute and not written as such.
The group- naturally- splits up to do random stuff like have sex, water-ski topless and get killed by Jason Voorhees, who has picked up his Part III mask along the way.
Can a pre-reunion of The CW's Tuesday Night Line-Up put an end to the seemingly-unstoppable killer?  To find out, watch the Film.  The End.
Is it better than I expected?  To be fair, I've never been a huge fan of this Franchise.  Jason has no personality and the Films tend to just highlight assholes waiting to die.  It is only the ones that have some sort of gimmick to them- like Part 7 or Jason X- that tend to hold my interest longer.  In this case, it is mostly more of the same from this Series.  Here's the confusing part: this is a Reboot that is also a bit more.  In this Film's history, the first Film apparently happened the same, only with Jason watching the Mother die.  Unless I missed that, it is a new addition.  It isn't like Jason was ever that talkative, be him alive or some sort of demon-worm thing.  After that, the Film tells a mostly-Reboot Story, albeit with parts that they cribbed from throughout the Franchise.  You get a version of Burlap Sack Jason (clearly inspired by The Town That Dreaded Sundown originally) and later the more iconic Jason.  The only thing you don't get is a good look at Jason's mug- no doubt being saved for the Sequel.  Somehow this Movie didn't lead to one, despite opening with $42 million!  I'm sure that there is a long, complicated Story behind that.  The two big things here- lots of Gore and lots of Boobs.  The Film- coming from Platinum Dunes- indulges in lots of dark, excessive stuff like bear traps, people burning alive and people begging to be spared.  It also has lots of stupid people that seem to lack both the Fight and Flight Response.  This Jason is just a big, angry beast that kills people- nothing more.  If you want depth, it isn't here.  If you want blood, guts and darkness, it is here.  It also has inspired some crazy people online that you wouldn't believe...
Dark, bleak stuff that kind of falls apart right at the end for no good reason.  An odd mix of Reboot and Best Of that makes for an *interesting* Film at times.

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