REVIEW: FREDDY VS. JASON...

[PLANT]

Review: 'Freddy vs. Jason' an unkind cut
As sales gimmick, fine; as movie, forget it
By Christy Lemire
Associated Press
Friday, August 15, 2003 Posted: 9:15 AM EDT (1315 GMT)

 
(AP) -- No one really wins in "Freddy vs. Jason," the showdown between horror icons Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees -- except maybe the manufacturers of their trademark red-and-green striped sweater and hockey mask, which prove indestructible.

More marketing gimmick than a film with anything resembling substance or plot, "Freddy vs. Jason" combines elements of both the "Nightmare on Elm Street" and "Friday the 13th" movies.

The two villains kill everyone in sight before turning their talons -- er, talents -- on each other.

Hong Kong-based horror director Ronny Yu ("Bride of Chucky") fully embraces the familiar horror flick conventions and squeezes them for every possible laugh-out-loud opportunity.

Yuck yuck
The film begins with a curvaceous young woman stripping down to nothing for a late-night skinny dip, then running through the woods barefoot -- so you know she's a goner. Later, another naked girl slips in a puddle of her boyfriend's blood after stepping out of the shower.

In that way, it's similar to the "Scream" series, which itself was a savvy, self-aware send-up of the "Nightmare on Elm Street" and "Friday the 13th" movies.

 
Monica Keena and Kelly Rowland try to stop the madness.  
If wrapping your brain around that funhouse-mirror logic doesn't make you dizzy, then watching blood spew from Freddy and Jason's every orifice -- as well as a few new ones -- surely will.

Freddy (Robert Englund, in the role he originated in 1984's "A Nightmare on Elm Street") is in hell when the movie begins and is incapable of terrorizing children anymore. The adults in town have drugged them to keep them from dreaming, thereby preventing them from becoming his victims.

So Freddy resurrects Jason (played here by longtime stuntman Ken Kirzinger), the machete-wielding madman from over two decades of "Friday the 13th" movies, to rekindle their fear.

But Jason gets a little carried away at a rave and massacres nearly everyone, even after he's been doused in Everclear and set on fire. (Must have been the pounding techno music and the glow sticks that set him off.)

Freddy gets jealous and wants credit for the killings himself, which sets up the eventual, seemingly interminable smackdown.

A new cast of suckers
Getting in their way are Lori (Monica Keena), who now lives at 1428 Elm St., the site of the original killings, and her sassy friend, Kia (Kelly Rowland). Lori's ex-boyfriend, Will (Jason Ritter), and his buddy Mark (Brendan Fletcher), had been placed in a mental hospital (another slasher flick staple) for talking about their nightmares, but escape in hopes of stopping the killing spree.

There's nothing scary or suspenseful here; the most shocking thing is hearing squeaky-clean Rowland of Destiny's Child, in her film debut, repeatedly drop the F-bomb.

To paraphrase badly from "Bootylicious," I don't think Freddy or Jason are ready for this jelly -- but horror flick geeks will eat it up with a spoon.

"Freddy vs. Jason," a New Line Cinema release, is rated R for pervasive strong horror violence/gore, gruesome images, sexuality, drug use and language.



Sounds like shit to me, but Im still interested in seeing the movie because horror movies never have gotton good reviews...

[Javier]

yea...all theywanna do is take money out of your pockets with the eye candy...this movie will start off so many other Villian vs Villian movis....Chucky vs the Leprechaun anyone?
next yar it will be Alien vs PRedator

scary movies gone boxing...not a good idea for movies.

[platinumk777]

my friends watched it... they're sayin the movie is fun as hell to watch. kind of a "leave your brain at home" flick. but you'll be disappointed if you go watch it to get a scare

[Blood Rain]

dope thanks for the review, but i shouldnt have looked cause i aint seen the movie yet, lol

[eS El Duque]

yea...all theywanna do is take money out of your pockets with the eye candy...this movie will start off so many other Villian vs Villian movis....Chucky vs the Leprechaun anyone?
next yar it will be Alien vs PRedator

scary movies gone boxing...not a good idea for movies.

Chucky vs Leprechaun would kick some major ass...my money's on...well...damn hard to choose

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

Ummm, this is not a sales gimmick dumbass...Real fans know the story behind Freddy vs Jason...It was planned 16 years ago, but production companies and label problems didn't allow it to happen...Then in 1993, there was hope for fans when New Line (the company that owned "Nightmare on Elm Street") purchased the rights to Jason...In late 1993, fans got what they've all been waiting for, a confirmation that the movie was going to happen when Freddys claw grabbed Jasons mask at the end of "Jason Goes To Hell"...Still, there was problems with scripts, producers, actors etc...They were supposed to begin filming at least 4 times...They went through hundreds of scripts and script changes, and why would they do that? For the fans, not for gimmick sales...Now all you dumbasses who haven't seen the movie, and are judging it before you even know the story and history behind it, really need to close your mouths, because you're really starting to piss me the fuck off...Every theatre I went to had huge lines for this movie, and everybody that saw "Freddy vs Jason" told me their whole theatre was clapping at the end...Everyone who hates on this movie is an idiot, and most of these reviews are retarded...If you want real reviews, go read the Jason boards at http://www.fridaythe13thforum.com/forumdisplay.php?forumid=17...Those are true fans that have been waiting for this movie for over 15 years...The reviews for horror movies have always been bad, so discredit those before you make the mistake of judging the movie before you see it for yourself...I bet the people who gave this movie a bad review don't even know the story behind Freddy or Jason...Reviews by real horror critics have been outstanding, so just go watch it for yourselves (make sure you know the story behind both characters or it won't make sense)...Now I want all the hating to stop until you actually see the movie and understand the complete story...Then if you hate it, I don't know what the fuck to tell you, but for now, stop the judging and go watch the fuckin movie cuz it's the best horror movie to come out in a while...PeACe

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

PS, Ive now seen this movie 4 times, and it gets better each time I see it...And in more news, this movie pulled in 40 million at the box office in it's opening weekend...Fuckin outstanding.

[GrewSum]

my question is......what the fuck happened to kane hodder or whatever dudes name was......he was killer as jason.....why change that?

[JTSimon]

This movie is supergay don't watch it  

[platinumk777]

my question is......what the fuck happened to kane hodder or whatever dudes name was......he was killer as jason.....why change that?

I saw this on Access Hollywood... it's cause Kane Hodder is an ENORMOUS guy, and Robert Englund (Freddy) would look WAY too small beside him, and the director thought that could ruin Freddy's image in the movie, and make him look weak & vulnerable. So they hired another guy to play Jason, to make them to look a bit more even, in proportion. Obviously, Jason is meant to be a bit bigger though.

[white Boy]

only retarts can argue about this movie being good,

[Lord Funk]

Watched this the day it came out, absolutely steaming shit-faced.

I didn't enjoy it, but of course I don't know if that's just because my senses were numbed by five hours of drinking. The one thing I remember thinking walking out was "That didn't make me jump even once".

I'll have to see it again sober and make my mind up.

[BL7]

Watched this the day it came out, absolutely steaming shit-faced.

I didn't enjoy it, but of course I don't know if that's just because my senses were numbed by five hours of drinking. The one thing I remember thinking walking out was "That didn't make me jump even once".

I'll have to see it again sober and make my mind up.

It wasn't scary at all. I liked it because it was funny, and pretty gory too.

[Don Jacob]

with all that said.......WHO WON!?

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

Grewsum:
Kane Hodder wasn't selected for plenty of reasons...Ken Kirzinger (the actor who was selected to play Jason in "Freddy vs Jason") was more fit for the role...Ronny Yu (the director of "Freddy vs Jason") envisioned Jason as a taller more slender character, such as the Jason potrayed in the comic books...He also wanted a Jason who could display emotion, and Ken Kirzinger was perfect for the part...Also, Kane was known to argue what he was ordered to do by the directors...For example, in "Friday The 13th part 8" he was supposed to kick a dog, but he didn't agree to do it because he claimed "there was a limit"...I doubt Ronny Yu (The director of "Freddy vs Jason") wanted to deal with Hodders bullshit...The bottom line is, Ken Kirzinger played Jason better than anyone else, including Kane...I think he did an AWESOME job as Jason, and I wouldn't have it any other way...


Max Powers:
I doubt you've watched the movie, and if you have, give me one good reason why you say bullshit? If you don't supply a reason to back up your claim, don't bother replying.


MK Virus:
That reason you gave was complete bullshit...Ken Kirzinger is way taller than Kane Hodder...Maybe he's a bit slimmer, but he's still the bigger Jason overall...In fact, it's the other way around...Ronny didn't select Hodder cause he was too small!...Read the reasons I listed above to Grewsum...Ronny Yu never said anything about Kane Hodder being "too big"...Please do not comment on this if you don't know the facts, cause that's how bullshit gets spread...


White Jesus:
Only retards can spell it "retarts"...


Lord Funk:
Watch it again when you're not intoxicated so that you can actually pay attention to what you're seeing this time around...Then if you don't like it, you can comment on whether you liked it or not...


Safe+Sound:
I agree...I haven't found a movie to be scary since I was 7...But you gotta admit, it was way scarier than any of the bullshit horror movies being put out nowadays...


Don Jacob:
Go watch the fuckin' movie!! NOW!!!