Let’s face it, Platinum Dunes is a remake factory that’s managed to take some of the best horror films of all time and completely butcher them. Take “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” for one example, a bastardized MTV version of a damn good dose of indie filmmaking. But surprisingly, “Friday the 13th” isn’t a bad film and Marcus Nispel completely redeems himself. In fact it’s pretty damn good. I know I’ve become the small minority of movie viewers who see the film as a great reboot, but I just clicked with “Friday the 13th” and everything it pushed on audiences including the mean vicious SOB that is Jason Voorhees.
And I’m not speaking as a fan of slashers or the franchise, but “Friday the 13th” is a strong horror film with a vision that squeezes in parts one and two of the original franchise while also telling its own story in the process. After Clay Miller’s little sister goes missing after a camping trip takes her to the abandoned Camp Crystal Lake, he sets out on a journey to find her and discover what lies beneath the shadows of the abandoned camp. Nispel sets up a three pronged effective story with our first half focusing on a group of teens destined to fall under Jason’s knife while we’re introduced shortly after to the principle characters including Jared Padalecki who plays main hero Clay and the blood sheds once we’re settled in and Jason continues his path of destruction avenging his mother’s death.
As for the “Killer Cut” there are just more moments of damage and slashing to be had with extra minutes added that provides audiences with an extended edition. The Blu Ray, as I’ve read, has both the Widescreen and Full screen mode but the DVD is an all around worthy purchase for fans of Jason Voorhees and the carnage he sews. As for the DVD we’re given two special features that barely amount to a hill of beans when compared with the Blu Ray release. It’s a wonder we were given anything at all frankly because the Blu Ray is so jam packed with extras, consumers without the format might feel cheated.
I sure did. For the extras we have only an eleven minute look at the “Rebirth of Jason Voorhees” a typical fluff piece that just goes over what the movie’s premise is and nothing more. There’s also an eight minute Deleted Scenes reel that doesn’t add to the quality of the disc and feels like padding just like the Behind the Scenes feature. What a shaft DVD consumers are given. I’m still in the minority in my feelings toward “Friday the 13th,” and I’m willing to live with that. While not a masterpiece it does feature Jason in his usual badass attire doing what he does best. And who could ask for anything more?