Paramount has released the next set of Friday the 13th sequels on Deluxe Edition DVDs. This time, we're treated to Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter, Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning, and Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives.
We've recently spent time with all three of them and are here to give you the skinny. How to they measure up? Are they worth revisiting? Most importantly, are they worth your money?
One of these three sequels is the best of the entire series. Another is a fun, albeit mindless, plotless, and ridiculous entry in the franchise and the other is the worst entry in the entire series. Which is which?
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Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter, clearly not as final as the title would indicate, just happens to be my favorite in the series. It could be that it was the first one I actually saw. Maybe I related to the Tommy Jarvis (Corey Feldman) character, being as I was that age when I saw this. Whatever the reason, Final Chapter has always been top of the list for me. I was a little worried when I received this because I hadn't seen it in a few years and I was worried it wouldn't hold up. Thankfully, it holds up pretty well.
This fourth entry is important to the franchise for a number of reasons. First, it's the start of the trilogy that features the Tommy Jarvis character. Second, it's the beginning of Jason's seeming ability to teleport (it's evident in this one that this power is simply sloppy editing, however in subsequent films it seems almost deliberate). Finally, it's the last time Jason is technically human in the franchise. After this, he becomes a zombie. Spoiler.
Part Four has all of the fun and scares you could want in a Jason flick. It's the least vapid of the series, outside of the original, and has some truly gruesome kills, including Jason's own demise at the hands of twelve year old Tommy. Everything you want in a Friday movie is here. The difference is, you don't feel dumb for having watched it. It's presented in a way that makes it seem fresh even though this is the 4th time we've visited Crystal Lake.
The Deluxe Edition DVD is loaded with features. We get commentary from the director, the screenwriter, and the editor, along with a fan commentary from director Adam Green (Hatchet) and Joe Lynch. Also included is the latest edition of "Lost Tales of Camp Blood, "Deleted scenes, a lost ending, original trailer, and featurettes "Jimmy's Dead Dance Moves" and Jason's Unlucky Day: 25 Years After Friday The 13th: The Final Chapter." Lastly, is the Mockumentary "The Crystal Lake Massacres Revisited Part 1" which has citizens of Crystal Lake, historians, and conspiracy theorists discussing the legend of Jason Vorhees. People out there seem to be enjoying this but to be honest, I found it to be tiresome and somewhat pointless.
Overall, The Final Chapter remains my favorite of the Friday the 13th franchise. If I ever watch any of the films again, this would certainly be my first choice. A large part of this one was taken for the recent horrible remake so you are better off skipping that dud and watching this classic entry.
Next up is Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning this one being the worst of the franchise. It's here that the series became more like a routine. By now, the series is an old workhorse that should have been left dead after the mistitled Final Chapter. Instead, another dip in the well and we get a vapid, soulless entry into the franchise.
Tommy Jarvis is older now and finds himself staying in a halfway house for wayward teens. Eventually, murders start happening and Tommy suspects Jason has returned but then thinks it might not be Jason at all, but himself doing the killing. Spoiler: It's neither.
I don't want to spend too much time on this one because it really is awful. The disc has a commentary from director/co-screenwriter Danny Steinmann as well as various cast and crew, the next chapter of Lost Tales from Camp Blood, the second installment of The Crystal Lake Massacres Revisited, a making of featurette, and the original trailer.
Completists, like myself, should definitely pick this up. Honestly, I don't know who else is buying these DVDs anyway. But on the off chance you aren't collecting the entire series, you can certainly skip A New Beginning.
Finally, we arrive at Jason Lives: Friday the 13th Part VI. which is a pretty interesting entry in the series. This entry feels a little different than the others. It's a silly, mess of a movie but it's fun and it really doesn't take itself at all seriously. It feels more like a fifties monster movie than an eighties slasher. In fact, the death scenes are quite tame for the most part.
There is no plot to speak of honestly. Tommy Jarvis is back and he has come to crystal lake to make sure Jason is really dead. So, naturally, he digs up his body and then stabs it repeatedly with a steal rod (during a lightning storm I might add). The steal rod is struck by lightning, several times, and Jason is resurrected. This marks the beginning of Zombie Jason.
The movie is essentially Jason wondering around murdering people. That's pretty much it. I mean that is what all of the movies are but the others seemed to at least try to get some kind of a plot in their, even if they failed. This is just Jason walking through the woods killing everyone. Random people in the woods, cops, campers, teenagers, and anything else that gets in his way. While that happens, Tommy tries to convince the cops that Jason is back. The camp is reopened and for the first time in the series' there are actually kids at the camp, which makes for some laughs. That's all we have for plot. Still, it's fun.
This disc has pretty much the same features as New Beginning, plus deleted scenes. It was odd to me that the trailer presented here was a teaser trailer that just show Jason's grave bursting open to reveal an empty coffin, followed by the tag line "The Nightmare Returns." That would be more appropriate for a Freddy movie, no?
Anyway, the latest three releases are hit and miss for me. Picture wise and sound wise they're all pretty good. The effects hold up pretty well even with upconverting on the PS3. I still don't get the box design but it's a little late to fix that.
Paramount is doing a decent job with these sets. I'm curious how the hard core fans are reacting. I know people are really wanting these movies to be released completely uncut, and I'm hoping the upcoming Deluxe Edition of Part 7 (the most heavily censored of the series) is returned to its uncut glory. I doubt it will happen though.
Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter, Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning, and Jason Lives: Friday the 13th Part VI are all available on DVD now.
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