FREDDY VS. JASON, a movie in search of a plot, is little more than a random
collection of clich‚d horror moments. A gorefest that slices and dices
almost non-stop, the movie pits classic horror movie characters Freddy
Krueger (Robert Englund) and Jason Voorhees (Ken Kirzinger) in a battle to
the death -- this is if you really believe that any studio would permanently
kill off one of their cash cows.
Before the main event, the movie features an hour of all the standard fright
tricks: lightning flashes, lights flicker, people appear suddenly, shadowy
figures are glimpsed, silicone breasts are flashed and teenagers are chopped
up with great glee by Freddy and Jason. After this perfunctory part comes
the big, half-hour-long match between the guy in the hockey mask and Edward
Scissorhands's evil uncle. Who wins? Who cares?!
"Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!" screams Lori (Monica Keena), the best looking
of the teens. You'll be screaming that too, not because of fright but
because of mind-numbing boredom. If you want to see a good horror film,
save your money for CABIN FEVER, which opens next month. It's smartly
written, unlike the utterly stupid FREDDY VS. JASON.
FREDDY VS. JASON runs 1:32, which will seem like an eternity. The film is
rated R for "pervasive strong horror violence/gore, gruesome images,
sexuality, drug use and language" and would be acceptable for older
teenagers.
My son Jeffrey, age 14, gave it ***. He liked the special effects in the
dream sequences and the fighting. He also thought the jokes worked well.
Copyright © 2003 Steve Rhodes
