Lack of Originality, Actual Scares Render Marcus Nispel’s ‘Friday the 13th’ Ineffective

CHICAGO – Your reaction to Marcus Nispel’s “Friday the 13th” is likely to depend on how nostalgically you remember the original and how you reacted to producer Michael Bay’s “remakes” of “The Amityville Horror,” “The Hitcher,” and “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”.

Rating: 2.0/5.0

Like “TCM” or Rob Zombie’s “Halloween” (although without nearly as far to fall in terms of quality from original to big-budget carbon copy), the remake/reboot/re-whatever of “Friday the 13th” is essentially just another entry in a franchise, delivering more of the same except louder and with a bigger budget.

Read Brian Tallerico’s full review of “Friday the 13th” in our reviews section.

Screenwriters Damien Shannon & Mark Swift waste an opportunity to upgrade Jason Voorhees for a new generation, choosing instead to make just another slasher flick that will ultimately be as influential or memorable as the mediocre sequels that followed one of the most influential horror movies of all time.

The plot of “Friday the 13th” is essentially divided into two groups of beautiful people waiting to meet the sharp end of Jason’s machete. A prologue serves as the remake of the original, detailing the beheading of Jason’s mom from the end of the first movie and the undead Jason’s return to take her place as a serial killer at Camp Crystal Lake.

Continuing reading for Brian Tallerico’s full “Friday the 13th” review.

Photo credit: John P. Johnson/Warner Bros. Pictures