As beloved as the Friday The 13th films are, there are a few that even hardcore fans choose to ignore when binging. Two of the films that are usually tossed to the wayside are the tenth film, Jason X, and the 2009 remake. Many fans, however, defend these two black sheep of the franchise. Jason X was released to hold fans over until the release of Freddy Vs Jason and infamously saw the famous slasher take his rampage to space, while the latter was cursed upon arrival as fans famously despise remakes.
These two films are always brought up when discussing bad Friday entries, but the same can be said for many when discussing their favorite entries. There are plenty of arguments for both when debating which is the underrated Jason flick, and it is an argument that will last longer than Jason himself.
10 Jason X: Changes The Formula
From the release of the first film in 1980, the franchise has been pretty straightforward. A group of teens goes prowling around Camp Crystal Lake where they meet their violent fate. There have been a few changes, but for the most part, they have been this simple cookie-cutter plot.
The franchise first started to go off of this course with the eighth film, which saw Jason go to Manhattan, but things really started to differ when Jason went to space in Jason X. This idea seems ridiculous for many, but for others, the premise was a breath of fresh air as they waited for his showdown with Freddy, a year later.
9 Remake: Scariest Jason Yet
Jason Voorhees isn't exactly the most complex character. He also isn't portrayed as the most intelligent and is little more than a territorial zombie in some of the later entries. But for his reimaging, this all changed. The remake saw Jason as more of a hunter, trapping and outsmarting his prey.
As scary as a mostly decomposed Jason is, something about him using the woods to his advantage is absolutely terrifying. This Jason uses victims as bait to lure even more victims, and this level of animalistic intelligence cements the remake as arguably the most dangerous version of the famed baddie.
8 Jason X: Self-Aware
A movie featuring one of the scariest horror icons ever, going on a rampage in space, was never going to be taken seriously. Thankfully, writer Todd Farmer knew this and decided to have fun with the idea. Not only is Jason frozen, only to awake on a spaceship in the future, but there is an android running around. Jason becomes even more unstoppable and the movie doesn't take itself seriously.
This self-awareness allows fans to have fun watching the movie and even pokes fun at the franchise's sillier aspects, while at the same time celebrating them.
7 Remake: Back To Basics
The New Line era of Friday The 13th took Jason out of Crystal Lake and attempted to change the formula of the franchise. After three movies and over a decade, however, fans were ready for Jason to come home. The remake saw Jason back where he belongs, in the dense woods surrounding Camp Crystal Lake.
The movie showcases an updated version of the fan-favorite summer camp and lets Jason do what he does best. As fun as it was seeing Jason in space or prowling Elm Street, fans were happy to see him in his element once again.
6 Jason X: Evil Gets An Upgrade
Jason Voorhees and his iconic hockey mask have become the stuff of horror legend. Jason X starts out with a more traditional Jason, but soon gives him a much-needed upgrade.
The movie sees Jason mortally wounded, only to be rebuilt with nanobots into the half-machine "Uber Jason." This cyborg Jason has become a fan favorite and skyrockets the already goofy film to new heights. This is a prime example of Todd Farmer knowing exactly the type of film he was making, and having an absolute blast in the process.
5 Remake: Secret Tunnels
Jason popping up out of nowhere is a running joke among fans of the series. The remake's more grounded approach shows that Jason doesn't have the power to teleport, but instead utilizes abandoned mining tunnels under the camp to quickly traverse and take his prey by surprise.
This adds to the more realistic and frightening portrayal of Jason, and even adds some subtle backstory to the legend of Crystal Lake. Jason had a rundown shack in the previous entries, but his subterranean lair in the remake is much scarier, as he can strike at any time.
4 Jason X: Horror Comedy
The only way Jason X was going to work was as a horror-comedy. The movie is a teen space comedy masquerading as a Friday The 13th film, and many agree that this works. If the movie operated as a straightforward space slasher, it would have bombed even harder and likely wouldn't have gained the cult following it has.
While odds are it is not spoken in the same breath as Shaun Of The Dead, the movie still has a handful of laughs to offset the violent Jason lurking about. The movie knows how to be scary when needed, but it also knows when a bit of humor is necessary.
3 Remake: Simple Yet Brutal Kills
The Friday The 13th films are well known for their creative kills. But as the films went on, the sequels constantly tried to one-up each other to the point where many deaths were just silly. The remake simplified the kills, but made them much more gritty and brutal than in films past.
In the movie's attempt to make Jason more realistic, he lost his superhuman strength, so wasn't able to do things like bend someone in half or punch through a chest, like Superman. Instead, Jason relies on his surroundings and simple means to take out his prey, making for a more sinister and grounded experience.
2 Jason X: Frozen Face
Jason X has one of the highest body counts in the series, so it is no surprise it features a fan-favorite kill. When Jason first awakes, he wastes no time getting to business by taking out the tech who was examining his supposedly dead body. This kill is celebrated as one of the most creative and violent deaths in the entire series, which is no small feat.
The use of liquid nitrogen and the help of a countertop makes the death quick, but memorable all the same. The tech named Adrienne is the first victim after Jason wakes up, so the movie has a lot to live up to, and some fans agree that it doesn't quite get to the same level.
1 Remake: A Love Letter To The Entire Franchise
At the heart of the film, 2009's Friday The 13th is a love letter to the franchise. There are plenty of callbacks to previous entries, most obviously being Jason's sack mask he wears before donning his iconic hockey mask is a nod to his first adult appearance in Friday The 13th Part II.
The movie was written by Damian Shannon and Mark Swift, who also penned Freddy Vs Jason, and are clearly fans of the franchise. This love for the series shows in the final product, as while initially being panned solely because it's a remake, the movie now has gained praise for being everything the series is all about.
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May 31, 2021 at 05:30AM
