Directed by Tom McLoughlin, Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives is the sixth installment of the slasher franchise that follows Tommy Jarvis (Thom Mathews) years after he killed the infamous hockey-masked murderer Jason Voorhees (C.J. Graham) with the intensity of the experience landing him in a mental institution. To end his torment and achieve a level of closure, Tommy escapes from the hospital and heads to the graveyard where Jason is buried, intending to dig up the body and cremate it. But, before this total annihilation can occur, a freak electrical accident resurrects Jason from the dead, and the terror begins anew.
Now many of you who have followed me for a long time are probably aware that I actually am not the biggest fan of the Friday the 13th franchise as a whole because I never really understood the appeal of most of the films, aside from the iconic Jason and the entertaining kills he delivers on screen. I cared very little about the story or characters for each film compared to other slashers like Halloween and Nightmare on Elm Street, especially because most of the Friday the 13th films are poorly made and took themselves way too seriously so they just never felt fun or entertaining. That is until I got to the sixth installment, which to me is everything I wanted the entire franchise to be from the start. This is the only installment that I really like and enjoy watching frequently for the endless fun in pretty much every frame.
The main reason it is so damn entertaining is because director/writer Tom McLoughlin was the one to finally break the mold the series was stuck in for so long, injecting the film with an actual story, developed characters, a balance of Gothic tropes with comedy, and a self-awareness that would influence later slasher franchises like Scream. Jason Lives fully embraces the silliness of its premise, as does the cast involved who clearly knew the kind of film they were in and were having so much fun with it. Everyone commits to their parts no matter how over the top or over dramatic their characters are, and they do them so wonderfully, making them likable characters in comparison to other installments.
Some of the characters also have some development like Tommy Jarvis, which is a rarity for this franchise as I feel most characters in every installment are always one note, except for this one. None of the characters are deep in this film by any means and some are purposefully made to be victims for Jason, but they are very enjoyable due to the committed performances and the great self-aware writing they are given to work with.
Though of course, the best character in this film is Jason Voorhees himself who is the most front and center he has ever been. Played by C.J. Graham, Jason is both a menacing figure and an unstoppable undead killing machine who delivers lots of great and gruesome kills, even if some are censored a bit. He’s hugely entertaining and of course, looks damn good as a zombie with the great makeup that is shown on full display many times.
The film aims to be more funny than scary which may not work for some people but I found it to be a nice change of pace compared to the overly serious and melodramatic tone of the other installments. The humor is written extremely well here as it plays with many horror tropes and makes fun of them in a self-aware fashion, even going so far as to break the fourth wall and have certain characters foreshadow their own deaths.
As I mentioned before in other reviews I really love self-aware films when done right, and with this film I feel they definitely did it right, even if it may not be the funniest self-aware horror film I’ve watched. I can see how this would be the blueprint for other horrors in the future like Scream, making this a rather under-appreciated but vital film for the horror film industry.
It was also the first Friday the 13th film to me that didn’t feel cheap in look or scale in terms of the technical department. There are some solid action and stunt sequences that are all executed incredibly well, adding to the entertainment value while also being paired with some strong cinematography, setting the eerie tone that you just don’t see with the other films in the franchise. The editing is also surprisingly great in some parts of the film, except for when they cut away from certain kills.
I also love the fact the film is set in what feels like an actual summer camp, complete with actual kids rather than the bunch of sex-driven teens that we always get with these films.
The practical effects are top-notch, never feeling cheap or poorly aged, which is surprising given the franchise’s history of poorly aged effects in other installments. This is the first one where I feel nearly every effect has aged extremely well. And then of course there is Harry Manfredini’s great score that establishes the gothic tone this film has going for it, heightening the tension and fun terror that comes with Jason every time he’s on screen. We also have a few fun songs by Alice Cooper in the mix that give this film more of a memorable identity.
Jason Lives is a sequel that resonates with a lot of fans and I can definitely see why, with its commitment to tongue-in-cheek humor that was a welcomed change from the franchise. Unfortunately, this change would not continue forward in future installments and I really wish it could have because then I would have enjoyed them just as much as this one. To me, this is the best installment of the series and one that I definitely would recommend giving a go even if you aren’t a super fan of the franchise. I’m going to give Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives a B = 84.
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