There are many horror movies on television at this time of the year to celebrate Halloween. As I have become accustomed to the usual slasher flicks of my day including the original Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th, I decided to watch the remake of the latter. 

I am not a fan of remakes, but I gave it a chance in that I know there are differences between originals and remakes. I really enjoyed this remake as it is up to date with technology, music and fashion. I enjoyed the plot which somewhat mirrored the original instalment of the Friday The 13th films.

It seems as if some elements are combined from the original four films from the instalments which gives viewers an idea of Jason’s history from inception at Crystal Lake. Even though it seems like the story line will be predictable it’s actually not. There are a whole series of events that happen at the camp-site that brings a climatic end to Jason’s terror. The movie begins with Jason witnessing a horrible incident in his life that is sure to scar him. The summer camp that he was supposed to enjoy was marred with negligence.

Fast forward decades later and protagonist (Clay) arrives at Crystal Lake for unfinished business as he is desperate to find his sister. That’s when strange things start to happen as he and his new companion (Jenna) he met among a group of vacationing teens at the lake, find themselves in the destructive path of the infamous Jason Voorhees.

What is almost cliché in the movie as with many slasher flicks are teens wandering off only to unexpectedly run into a maniac that is sure to wreak havoc on them. The film received an overall rating of 4.2/10 or 25% by rotten tomatoes, with 50% of viewers being satisfied with the movie.

I actually thought the movie was good granted that it was a remake, but it really didn’t distinguish itself from the previous movies. There were changes to the story line but for the most part it had the same premise as the original film. The cinematography and imagery were great on the big screen as the imagery of Jason jumps out at you. He seems more aggressive and the teens seem to be more naive this time around.

Friday 13th 2009 Surprise

The camp grounds and woods were desolate and almost barren at night while in the daytime it’s seemingly normal. This is also consistent with the original films where Jason is dormant waiting for the perfect time to strike. The producer and director did a great job telling the back story and keeping viewers up to date about who Jason is and why he is a legend.

What will happen to the unsuspecting teens who seem to indulge in randomly silly teenage antics, oblivious to what’s waiting for them in the woods? What has become of Clay’s sister and will he be able to find what he was looking for all along? Who will survive the night and leave the camp-grounds never to return back?

written by: Kaia Zawadi