Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter

The Friday the 13 th films have been raped by imitators since the original 13 th sliced its way onto screens in 1980. Unfortunately, most of these would be copycats have yet to even tickle the surface of the groundbreaking horror series. Dear to many horror fans' hearts (including my own) is Jason Voorhees and his special brand of mindless slaughter. “Friday the 13 th ” has spawned 10 sequels (including Freddy vs. Jason) and most fans are rightfully divided on which sequel sheds the most blood and terror of the franchise. There have been so many great moments throughout Mr. Voorhees' barrage of mayhem that it's certainly hard to pick just one movie. But for now, let's take a look back at 1984 and one of my personal favorite chapters in the long history of “Friday the 13 th .” This is “The Final Chapter.”

Ah, camping… alcohol, drugs, sex, skinny dipping, seven foot tall maniacs with razor sharp machetes that'll rip your face off just for being there…I miss being a teenager. The film picks up right where Part III leaves off - with Jason's body being transported to the local hospital/morgue. Of course, being Jason, he's not actually dead and before long he's hot-footing it back to Crystal Lake. At the same time, a new batch of cliché teens (you know, the slut, the prude, the jerk, the nerd, the boyfriend and the boyfriend trying to score with the prude) arrive at their secluded cabin ready for the usual adolescent recklessness. Next door to this cabin lives Tommy Jarvis with his mother and older sister (what the hell are they doing living out there – didn't they see the first 3 “Friday the 13 th 's!!). Throw in a very nervous looking bounty hunter type and you've got a tasty stew of primed victims-to-be. Before long Jason decides it's getting a little too crowded around here and begins – trimming the fat.

Ok, I think the best way to kick off this review is by talking about the gore. It kicks some serious ass. Tom Savini is a genius with effects and this film is no different when it comes to showcasing his talent. There is some really cool stuff here. From getting your throat sliced with a hacksaw to a machete lodged in your face, the make-up and effects in this movie are top-notch. They certainly did the right thing getting Tom on this film and I can't stop praising his work. All the gore and death scenes in “The Final Chapter” come across quite real and, most of the time, very gruesome. Let me give you a quick rundown of what you're in store for. Aside from the aforementioned hacksaw and machete scenes, we also get: a corkscrew through the hand, a harpoon through the stomach, a machete piercing through the front of a throat, a head being crushed, someone thrown out a window, a stabbing and almost gutting (it actually was a gutting in the original scene that had to be cut from the theatrical release) and that's just the tip of the iceberg. This movie is a veritable cornucopia of cool death scenes and Tom Savini's work is a dominant part of it all.

Next up, let's talk about the acting. It's actually pretty damn good. I was overall, very impressed with how all the actors/actresses performed in this movie. Almost every character was believable in their roles and came across with pretty real reactions. There are some likeable characters and some characters you can't wait to watch perish but no matter how you flip the coin, you're going to see a good performance. I wouldn't necessarily say there's a lot of “standout” performances, but I also wouldn't say there's any downright terrible ones either. Not that these are extremely complex roles but the performers pull it off quite sincerely. The directing is also pretty good, with a good pace and some very eerie shots of the man behind the mask – the combinations of these two factors make “The Final Chapter” that much more enjoyable.

I feel I need to briefly touch on the comedy in the film. There isn't that much of it but there's one scene in particular that finds me holding my stomach in pain and wiping the tears of laughter from my squinting eyes. Three words: Crispin Glover dances – and you better believe it's damn funny. No matter how many times I've seen this movie, every time that scene comes on – I laugh and I laugh hard. I want to shake the hand of whoever decided that should be in the film because it provides the perfect amount of comic relief in one of the only scenes in the movie that might have dragged had it not been in there. Otherwise, there are some quick one-liners scattered throughout but nothing significant.

One of the only real negatives that I can find with the movie is the soundtrack. It's not that it's bad; it's just a little generic. There's not a whole lot here that stands out, but it does manage to help the tension along a little. I would have liked a little more creativity put into the audio but I may be nitpicking here.

Jason looks fantastic in the film; menacing and evil as hell. This is the film where Jason really started to morph into the deformed beast you see in the more recent sequels. The story for the film is it's only other weak point but let's face it, we don't watch “Friday the 13 th ” films for its compelling melodrama. The dialogue is rather good for the most part – especially between the group of horny and party hungry teens – and there is ample nudity throughout the movie to keep you bright eyed and bushy-tailed.

“Friday the 13 th – The Final Chapter” is easily in the top three of the series. It certainly didn't break any new ground in Crystal Lake but it's simply everything that makes a Jason movie so entertaining to watch. Not only are there some great kill scenes but there is some solid suspense and terror as well. Any flaws present are very minor and barely take anything away from the experience. If you don't have this one stapled into your collection, I suggest you go out and pick it up. There's very little to be disappointed with here - plus Crispin Glover dancing will always put you in a good mood.