By Kevin Hall
Five years have passed since the massacre that took place when Camp Crystal
Lake was reopened. Mrs. Voorhees (Jason's mother) met an untimely end at the
hands of a machete to her neck and the killings at the so called "Camp Blood"
have finally stopped, but the legend of Jason and his mother still lives on in
the minds of locals around the Camp Crystal Lake area. In Friday the 13th Part 2
a group of 7 counselors visit Camp Crystal Lake to explore the area for their
summer camp. Not long after, the killings at the camp start once again.
Part 2 is the first Friday the 13th where Jason himself takes up the mantle
as the killer. Part 2 is very important in the Friday the 13th series since,
besides being the first one that actually showcases Jason as the murderer, it
shows us what drives him to kill. It's as if his mother still speaks to him in
his subconscious.
Jason does not really have a strong identity in this sequel as showcased
later in the series. Instead of the usual hockey mask that he is well known for,
he dons a cloth bag with one eye hole over his head to hide his hideously
deformed face. Unlike his mother, Jason is so very clumsy during chase scenes in
this installment. Sure, he is the undead stalker bent on exacting revenge
against anybody that disturbs the Camp Crystal Lake area, but in the last few
minutes of this movie he stumbles, trips, even backs off at certain points. One
scene where a character grabs a chainsaw has Jason backing off in a sort of "Oh
dear" type reaction. Basically, the Jason portrayed in this installment has a
rather persona when compared to the Jason that we are more accustomed to in
later installments. It doesn't mean that he is a bad character in Part 2, but
after viewing the rest of the series, his weak nature is rather noticeable and
slightly laughable in this installment as is his generic appearance.
The movie plays out much like any ordinary slasher up to the point where you
really don't care about many of the characters present. You have your main
strong characters that are slightly interesting and then you have your minor
character that are there for the sole purpose of getting into trouble and
getting themselves killed. The death scenes in Part 2 are not near as gory or
unique as Part 1. Part 1's death scenes were not all the most memorable but at
least they weren't as basic as they are in Part 2. Part 2's machete to the face
death followed by some more insult to injury is about the only memorable death
that stands out to me.
About a good half of the movie (40 mins) deals with setting the stage for the
first kill and then afterwards the kills ramp up greatly to get rid of the minor
characters so we can have one big chase scene finale. Much like the first movie,
the final few minutes of the movie are very well done with plenty of running and
hiding as the main character is stalked. Even with Jason's constant mockery of
himself through stumbling and tripping, the pair manage to deliver a plausible
final few moments of the film.
The Blu-ray version of Part 2 looks much sharper and has less of a grainy
appearance when compared to the normal DVD version. The only noticeable grain is
during the opening segment and when the film showcases dark areas. The picture
quality is much like the original Friday the 13 on Blu-ray, which means it looks
very good for such an old movie. The overall sound is much better than the
normal DVD version as well. The music and sound effects are louder and clearer.
The sound in this sequel is not near as creative as the overall sound and
music from the first film however. The first film let the music showcase the
killer's presence and would only play whenever the killer was in the area; Part
2 still uses the music to highlight the killer's presence but it adds in extra
music and sound effects during important scenes and whenever a big scare takes
place that is intended for the audience to jump.
Over the years of watching horror movies, I have found a certain level of
respect for a movie that doesn't intend to scare a viewer with such cheap scares
which is why some of the older horror movies such as the first Friday the 13th
still stick out in my mind when compared to movies such as this one. It's more
enjoyable to be able to view a movie comfortably without having to worry about
when a sudden loud sound effect that is intended for a slight startle will
occur, and half the time, those scenes are not really that scary at all if the
sound effect wasn't in place. Disturbing scenes that are well placed will always
be more memorable and make the overall movie more satisfying rather than a
sudden cheap scare used to make the audience jump at something meaningless.
The extras on the Blu-ray are the same extras that were found on the normal
DVD release only some of them are now in high definition. A few interviews and
the original trailer are present and we also have another installment of the
"Lost Tales from Camp Blood" feature. Overall the movie is a worthy addition to
your collection for those that have already picked up the original Friday the
13th. It's interesting to note that both Adrienne King and Betsy Palmer reprise
their roles as some points of the movie. Betsy Palmer's performance of Jason's
mother is still just as strong as it was in the first film even though it is
minor. Along with the first and third movie in the series, Part 2 is another
important Friday the 13th to own since it shows more about Jason's origins (or
drive). The Blu-ray version is a worthy pickup for any horror fan that wants the
ultimate version of Part 2 in high definition.
Final Rating:
