Synopsis: Against the advice of locals and police, Clay (Jared Padalecki) scours the eerie woods surrounding Crystal Lake for his missing sister. But the rotting cabins of an abandoned summer camp are not the only things he finds. Hockey-masked killer Jason Voorhees lies in wait for a chance to use his razor-sharp machete on Clay and the group of college students who have come to the forest to party.
If you're an avid horror enthusiast, then you have heard of Jason Voorhees, who roams the 'campers' paradise known as Crystal Lake. Marcus Nispel directs this new addition starring Jared Padalecki (Supernatural, House of Wax ) and Amanda Righetti and I have to say, I was surprisingly impressed and here is why.
Before I watched Friday the 13th, I read a bit about it online. Some claiming it was a remake, (which we all know I dred and despise with a passion) and others a reboot. So which was it? After watching it, and reading one of Marcus Nispels interviews, I can without a doubt say, it is a reboot which is defined as (according to Google:
"In general, the simplest way to remember the difference between a reboot and a remake is to remember that for a film to be a reboot, it should be resetting a chronology that's been established over multiple films. A remake is concerned with updating a single film, sometimes slavishly."
So now that debate has been settled, I can get to what made it an asset and a pleasure to view. I was so happy to see that they kept to the original Jason Voorhees as possible and the original storyline, especially the fact that the original killer wasn't Jason. The original killer was his mother, seeking revenge for her Jason's death. Although not all factually correct, this film can be forgiven - after all 'urban legends' change over the years, so was it really an overlook, or a way to believability?
Jared Padalecki, added a higher level to this film, and it showed in the dynamic of his scenes, that said the other actors and actresses were less 'cheesy' than I expected. It was also nice to be able to 'see' the scenes. They did a great job with the cinematography and lighting, finding that balance to show night, without making the audience blind to what was happening.
The writers, paid homage the original franchise, not shying away from the 'premarital sex scenes' and behaviours, present in all of the Jason Voorhees films, but that was the 'era' of the Friday the 13th Films. The deaths were classic of Jason, but with a new age improvisational twist.
So in fear of giving too much away, I will say, this film is definitely worth watching at least once. I myself, have added it to my collection and plan on watching it again. It was refreshing to see Jason rebooted, in a way that honors the franchise, but brings him, just as terrifying to a new generation.
Trailer courtesy of the trailer guy.