Part 3 not only marked a new direction for Jason, but also for the franchise, having been shown in theatres in 3D. Never having seen it "enhanced," my curiosity got the best of me and I bought a copy of the “Uncut” 3D version, even though I already had two other copies of the 2D movie. Well, no matter what we did (I watched it with my friend Lukas and his wife Cassandra), it was clear that the red/blue cardboard 3D specs were very lame and dated, and our viewing experience wasn't enhanced whatsoever, but actually made worse. So, we finished it in 2D, and laughed at the scenes obviously intended for 3D.
So, Jason is still hellbent on revenge, and has discarded the burlap sack, grown in size, lost all his hair (damn middle-aged testosterone levels), and now wears a Dickie’s work outfit instead of a flannel. But, once again, we have the familiar scenario, kids heading off to Camp Crystal Lake for a summer of fun in the sun, sex, drugs, and rock & roll.
And, like Part 1, we have another jokester, Shelly this time (chubby white dude with an afro who reminded me of the annoying wheelchair dude in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre), who annoys the hell out of everyone, and you’ll be happy to see killed off later in the movie. We also have another cute redhead, well, strawberry-brown, named Chris, played by Dana Kimmell, and yet another weird old man, who carries an eyeball given to him by Jason?, and who continues to warn of what might happen by going to the lake.
So, once they somewhat settle in at camp, Shelly and Vera make a run to the local grocery store, but have a run-in with a few bikers (black dude Ali, black chick Fox, and white dude Loco), who try to flex their muscle. When leaving, Shelly accidentally runs into their bikes with the VW Bug, which moments later, takes an ass whooping by Ali’s chain (tough people carry those types of things ya know). But, Shelly’s tired of being pushed around, and he runs over Ali’s bike, thus setting the stage for another retaliation. So, the bikers head to the camp with intent of burning down the barn, but are pitch-forked and wrenched to death instead.
While the jock (Andy) and his girl (Debbie) make out in a hammock, Chris tells her ex-boyfriend, Rick, about her first brush with Jason. Shelly plays another trick, but on Vera this time, and this is the first time we see the infamous hockey mask. Not enthused, Vera goes off on him, and he walks away with his tail between his legs, but Jason returns to the scene with the hockey mask and harpoon gun in tow (THE MOST ICONIC SCENE IN THE FRANCHISE!!), and Vera gets a 3D arrow through the left eye.
Now, back to Andy and his girl, who have finished playing hide the salami. She decides to take a shower (boob scene), while he goes to get beers (walking on his hands), a clear set-up for a sweet kill scene. She returns to the hammock to relax, but he doesn't (isn't it obvious what happened?), and she's killed with a machete through the chest from below (yet another scene similar to Part 1). I guess I never really realized just how similar Part 1 and 3 are until now. Sure, I remember familiar scenes, but I had never watched them back to back, which made it very obvious. I know, and I call myself a big fan...but there's a difference bewteen a big fan and a film nerd. :)
Anyway, waking up after a long day of bonging, the stoner couple get the munchies and cook popcorn, but then the lights go out. Stoner dude is asked to check the breaker box in the basement (set-up kill scene #2, YES!) and gets electrocuted, but hey, this corrects the light problem. Well, Shelly, returns to the house with a bloody neck, which is perceived as another gag, but this time, it’s for real. Moments later, stoner chick takes a hot poker through the mid-section, and Jason carries off her body, possibly using it later to stage another “discovery” by an unsuspecting victim.
So, this leaves Rick (the Brave) and Chris, but Rick soon dies by a head crushing, and we witness a Lucio Fulci-esque 3D eye popping scene. As Chris struggles to save her life, she manages to escape, not once, but multiple times, and Jason takes a little bit of a beating, not only stabbed, but also hung from a pulley. But, this not-of-this-world killing machine still isn’t dead, and even gives her a Nan Nanny Boo Boo look when he briefly takes off the mask as to say, “Yeah, Bitch, I’m still here, remember me?” But Ali, the presumed dead black biker dude from earlier, reappears, only to get hacked up with a machete. Jason then turns around, and gets an axe to the head by the hands of Chris, forever scarring the iconic thing that has made him feared to this day (the mask).
So, once again, we end with Chris in a canoe on the lake (remember Alice from Part 1), but instead of Jason coming out of the water, he’s seen in the house from afar, still alive, and coming to get his prey. But then, Pam comes out of the lake to restake her claim instead. Yet another dream? Only Chris knows, as she’s hauled away hysterical in a police car, and Jason still lies dead in the barn.
Ya know, I've seen this movie many times, and it's always an enjoyable experience. I can only hope that the 3D in hi-def will be better than the crap I witnessed a few months ago (but I’m not holding my breath). It's a great marketing ploy, but 3D can only really be appreciated on the big screen (right now at least), and I can only imagine how crude the 3D VHS version was. But, that still doesn’t take away from my love for Jason, or this film, and he’s still a badass mofo, whether in 2D, 3D, virtual reality, 4D, or even in space (Jason X). So, three reviews down, but plenty more to go.
|
OVERALL RATING--4-- |
No comments:
Post a Comment