Here is the Friday the 13th film that was supposed to be the final Friday film. That is until Jason became a zombie in the sixth film. For some reason Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter seems to be the film that fans of the franchise seem to like the most. But if your like me you can easy identify that this forth film is more about letting Jason go on a rampage then it is about developing a decent storyline with the characters.
In a nutshell this installment of the series takes place soon after the events of the third film but with a whole new group of unsuspecting campers for Jason to get his hands on. He has now become a legend and the locals warn anyone who goes near the lake that he is there and will kill anyone in his path. Meanwhile a young boy named Tommy Jarvis (Corey Feldman) who lives in a home close to the lake with his mother (Joan Freeman) and sister (Kimberly Beck), has a fascination with monster masks and make-up becomes wrapped up in Jason’s plan. After killing almost everyone in the area it comes down to Jason and little Tommy Jarvis who will give Jason one hell of a fight to the end.
Once again I find myself in the minority. I really didn’t care much for this installment in the original series. I felt the script really had not character development with any of the characters other than that of Tommy Jarvis whom was pretty much the focal point of the film. All the other characters seemed to be written in as your stereotypical teenagers in a horror film, although Crispin Glovers character, Jimmy started off as a wimp but ended up being the guy who got laid before he was done in by Jason. Not typical for any horror film at the time. Pretty much the script is just a mish-mash of Jason killing young people all these creative ways before the real drama begins in the third act. It’s entertaining but there is not much of a story that has any twists or turns to it. The ending is a little bit unexpected, but as a whole it came off as predictable.
The film does have pretty decent production value and the acting is half way decent. I’m not going to to deep into everything. The effects were also good. the soundtrack created by Harry Manfredini really stands out and is effective in giving the scenes their chilling feeling.
The Deluxe Edition DVD has a ton of special features which includes, commentary by director Joe Zito, screenwriter Barney Cohen and editor Joel Goodman, Fan Commentary with Adam Green and Joe Lynch, A Featurette called Lost Tales from Camp Blood – Part 4, Slashed Scenes, Jason’s Unlucky Day: 25 Years After Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter, The Lost Ending, The Crystal Lake Massacres Revisited Part I, Jimmy’s Dead Dance Moves, and Original Theatrical Trailer.
From what I heard there was supposed to be more fan commentary on this disc as well on the two discs for part five and six, that didn’t make the cut, but it’s something that happens but should be remembered for future releases or maybe the Blu-ray disc when it’s released. But it’s something to look for in the future.
Overall, The disc is packed with a ton of special features, which makes it a good buy. I for one am not obviously a big fan of this installment in the franchise, but I know a lot of people are. It’s a good disc, and well worth buying especially if your a big fan of not only this film but the Friday the 13th franchise as a whole.
– Horror Bob
- Interview with J.R. Bookwalter - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Andrew J. Rausch - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Rick Popko and Dan West - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Director Stevan Mena (Malevolence) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Screenwriter Jeffery Reddick (Day of the Dead 2007) - January 22, 2015
- Teleconference interview with Mick Garris (Masters of Horror) - January 22, 2015
- A Day at the Morgue with Corri English (Unrest) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Writer/Director Nacho Cerda (The Abandoned, Aftermath) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actress Thora Birch (Dark Corners, The Hole, American Beauty) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actor Jason Behr, Plus Skinwalkers Press Coverage - January 22, 2015
