So there’s the plot, a group of teenagers escape to a log cabin one weekend for some good old-fashioned sex, drugs and assorted hi-jinks. What they don’t know is that the cabin is bordering on a broken down campground, Crystal Lake, where a disfigured monster waits to slaughter anyone that trespasses on his property.
The whole film has a joke-y tone accompanied with a basic purpose, to deliver what’s expected from a horror movie of this caliber. This “Friday the 13th” remake has, as indicated, moments of humor, nudity, sex and unimaginative death sequences.
The original “Friday the 13th” was a stark, chilling “Halloween” rip off. The sequels that followed, all show a group of teens killed in violent ways, sans the fear factor. By now, the novelty has long worn off for Jason Voorhees. There’s nothing new to bring to the table, as is the case with this remake. Absolutely nothing is done to re-invent or refresh the series. This is a movie that needs the 3-D feature far more desperately than the superior “My Bloody Valentine,” released a month ago.
Director Marcus Nispel creates brief moments of suspense here and there, but again fails to make the whole film engrossing or even scary. The characters are idiots and the cast is far too polished and beautiful. The budget is a bit high as well, completely removing the isolation and organic feel the original film had. The re-boot actually resembles Nispel’s “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” remake, style-wise.
”Friday the 13th” is being released on Valentine’s Day as counter programming, but a mediocre film like this is unlikely to get your heart racing.
