Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives

WARNING: This review is hidden because it reveals the content of the film.
Click here to show this review. As a horror movie “Friday the 13th – Part VI: Jason Lives” has a few moments of suspense but no real scares. At least the kills are decent, and while the plot is ludicrous, it actually kind of works. I also enjoyed the human characters. But is that enough?

"Jason Lives" basically ignores “Part 5: A New Beginning”. Tommy (from Part 4 “The Final Chapter”) is now all grown up (and played by Thom Matthews) He’s still haunted by visions of Jason Voorhees, so he and a friend go up to the killer’s grave in order to exhume and cremate the body. Unfortunately, a well-placed metal spear and a bolt of lightning mean the deranged executioner is brought back to life... as a zombie! With no one believing our hero's story, Tommy and his only ally, the sheriff’s foxy daughter Megan (Jennifer Cooke) must find a way to deal with the monster.

“Jason Lives” is not what you would call a good movie. It’s just an excuse to cash in on the franchise, give some young actors their first break, and butcher some teenagers using special effects. If you hated the previous 5 films, you’ve got no business watching this one. For that reason, this picture needs to be reviewed as an entry in the series. Under those terms, what does it have to offer? First, it brings Jason back to life, which is good considering a “Friday the 13th” wouldn’t be the same without him. I actually enjoyed part 5’s new direction but if you mourned the loss of Mr. Voorhees, that’s good news for you. In terms of slashing, it’s a mixed bag, leaning more towards good. Some of the notable deaths include a three-with-one-blow, a heart getting punched out of someone’s chest and a face getting smashed so hard it leaves an imprint on the other side of the wall. Jason is now a hulking zombie brute. He’s impervious to bullets and super strong so that makes him more interesting than a guy that was somehow indestructible like in parts 2 & 3. His traditional look is assembled through incredibly convoluted and unintentionally comedic means but I can forgive it.

There are two genuinely good things about the movie non-slasher fans can appreciate. First, the two young leads. Megan is a spunky, stubborn, rebellious young woman. She’s actually quite charming, if only because she seems to instantly lock onto Tommy and decide to stick with him through this crazy adventure. Maybe boredom has overpowered her better judgment, maybe it’s teenage hormones talking, or maybe she just really wanted to cheese off her father. Regardless, she’s fun to watch. Tommy also makes for an interesting character. No one believes that Jason is out there so he takes it upon himself to take the monster down and he comes up with a pretty good plan to do it. At the end of the movie, when it’s his big showdown with the hockey-masked-killer, I actually found it to be tense. You like him, you want his plan to succeed and you want the guy and the girl to get together.

The other genuinely good element present is the soundtrack by Alice Cooper. At first, I thought it was a coincidence when I hear a radio playing “The Man Behind the Mask” but I heard several songs throughout and during the end credits too that point towards this film being somewhat self-aware. As much as I appreciate the CHH-CHH-CHH-aah-aah-ahh! Some variety goes a long way.

As far as the overall franchise goes, it’s middle of the road. There are some good kills and the main characters are fun but I think this chapter is more notable for finally giving us the invincible Zombie Jason, complete with hockey mask, blue fatigues and machete that we’ve come to “love” than anything else. It gets repetitive whenever the film focuses on the other counselors at the newly dubbed “Camp Greenwood” (Camp Blood and Camp Crystal Lake is bad for tourism) Also, no nudity in this film, which some people might call a more mature decision but I would call a letdown. If you’re going to be trashy, go all the way with it. If you’re marathoning these, I say check it out, but don’t skip out on part 3 or 4 in favor of this one. (On DVD, June 13, 2014)