FREDDY VS JASON (2003)

Freddy vs Jason came across as a pretty cheesy idea. Crossing over 2 of the most legendary horror franchises in all history was always going to guarantee some level of success for the film. But was it going to further bury franchises that had seemed to lack in any real ideas towards the end of their respective series? Or would it generate a new level of interest in the older films?

The film opens with a kind of introduction to the worlds of both protagonists. This means that at least to some degree you don’t have to have seen the other films (of either series) to be able to watch this film. Maybe the idea was to funnel new fans into the old franchises (which are now all available in box set form and proudly displayed in my collection)? Either way its great to see Robert Englund back as Freddy Krueger, it gives the movie an air of familiarity.

THE PLOT OF FREDDY vs JASON

As usual the comeback scenario’s are a little dubious. Freddy is in hell and has no power as any memory of him has been erased from the collective consciousness of Elm Street. His idea is to resurrect Jason from the dead to wreak havok amongst the town folk and put the fear of Freddy Krueger back into the town. This gives him a means to worm his way back into the dreams of the teenagers of the town. Actually not a bad plot idea! Can Freddy work with Jason? Can either of them be stopped? I guess you just have to watch the movie to find out!

The Movie has the usual horror movie “Cliches”. Teens partying alone in a house, oddly enough it’s “the” Elm st house from the first 2 Elm st. movies. The teenage sex angle is ever present, so it has no surprises for anyone who’s seen any of the other movies. The first kill of the movie goes to Jason, though being the house that it is the police think it might be Freddy. Thus Freddy begins to make his way back into the thoughts of the townsfolk.

The Verdict:

I have to say the premise and the film work well enough to hold water. The rest of the film from there on seems to flow rather well too. It’s well shot and keeps the viewers interest from start to finish. I will go so far as to say not only is it a worthy sequel to both franchises, it is better than some of the later ventures into both series. Should also note that it has a pretty heavy soundtrack too featuring Machine Head amongst others.

Over all, Freddy vs Jason a great watch and some cool creepy imagery keep this rolling along nicely. The gore factor is quite respectable too. The kill count really rolls along nicely later in the film, nothing particularly revolutionary but definitely in much higher definition than the early Freddy or Jason movies! More importantly it fired me up to watch the collective works of both series one more time! (which i’ll post up here in due course)

Be sure to check out other great movies in both these series:

A Nightmare on Elm st: 1 | 2 | 3
Friday the 13th 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

For more great horror movie reviews check out https://www.gorenography.com