Back in 1988, when the attempts to do a Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees title fight just weren't paying off, Jason ended up doing battle with a different foe: an unstable teenage girl with psychic visions and telekinetic abilities, and as many fans have pointed out, this may just as well have been subtitled "Jason vs. Carrie". This high concept pays off pretty well in a very amusing finale wherein Jason, like never before, is subjected to extended physical punishment. But before we get there, we get mostly the same tried and true formula, as a typical assortment of none too bright young adults meet their maker by coming to the woods intending to party.
What helps in this case is the reasonably compelling story of the very troubled Tina (the sexy Lar Park Lincoln, displaying a convincing amount of vulnerability), at war with her own inner demons and with her despicable psychiatrist, Dr. Crews (played by top character actor Terry Kiser), who's far more interested in her abilities than her mental health.
This would actually be a pretty good story with or without Jason's involvement. But our favourite hockey masked psychopath still adds a great bit of sadistic flair to the proceedings. The kills unfortunately are not everything they could be with the inventive and barbaric murders devised by effects expert / director John Carl Buechler whittled down to practically nothing in order to satisfy the MPAA. As a result, this respectably entertaining entry in the series isn't altogether satisfying, although it definitely has its moments. Lots of people, including this reviewer, do love that sleeping bag kill.
Making his debut as Jason after working with Buechler on "Prison", Kane Hodder invests Jason with genuine physical menace and a sense of incredible rage. This is a guy aching to do some serious damage. Jason has a great look this time around, face and body alike, with Buechler doing an admirable job of creating a sort of "damage continuity". It leads up to an engaging finale where Tina throws everything at Jason that she can.
The first entry not entirely scored by Harry Manfredini, it uses some of his earlier compositions as well as new ones from Fred Mollin, the composer for the 'Friday the 13th' TV series. Some of the supporting performances are good, with Susan Jennifer Sullivan a perfect ice queen as the snooty Melissa who has her eyes on local hunk Nick. Nick is played by the likeable Kevin Spirtas, who understandably prefers the much nicer Tina. Kiser, best known as Bernie in the "Weekend at Bernie's" movies, is superb as the psychiatrist who's just as much a villain as Jason himself.
Overall, pretty enjoyable stuff.
Seven out of 10.
What helps in this case is the reasonably compelling story of the very troubled Tina (the sexy Lar Park Lincoln, displaying a convincing amount of vulnerability), at war with her own inner demons and with her despicable psychiatrist, Dr. Crews (played by top character actor Terry Kiser), who's far more interested in her abilities than her mental health.
This would actually be a pretty good story with or without Jason's involvement. But our favourite hockey masked psychopath still adds a great bit of sadistic flair to the proceedings. The kills unfortunately are not everything they could be with the inventive and barbaric murders devised by effects expert / director John Carl Buechler whittled down to practically nothing in order to satisfy the MPAA. As a result, this respectably entertaining entry in the series isn't altogether satisfying, although it definitely has its moments. Lots of people, including this reviewer, do love that sleeping bag kill.
Making his debut as Jason after working with Buechler on "Prison", Kane Hodder invests Jason with genuine physical menace and a sense of incredible rage. This is a guy aching to do some serious damage. Jason has a great look this time around, face and body alike, with Buechler doing an admirable job of creating a sort of "damage continuity". It leads up to an engaging finale where Tina throws everything at Jason that she can.
The first entry not entirely scored by Harry Manfredini, it uses some of his earlier compositions as well as new ones from Fred Mollin, the composer for the 'Friday the 13th' TV series. Some of the supporting performances are good, with Susan Jennifer Sullivan a perfect ice queen as the snooty Melissa who has her eyes on local hunk Nick. Nick is played by the likeable Kevin Spirtas, who understandably prefers the much nicer Tina. Kiser, best known as Bernie in the "Weekend at Bernie's" movies, is superb as the psychiatrist who's just as much a villain as Jason himself.
Overall, pretty enjoyable stuff.
Seven out of 10.