Friday the 13th (2009) (R)
Cast: Jared Padalecki, Daneielle Panabaker, Aaron Yoo, Amanda Righetti
Release Date: February 13, 2009
Runtime: 1 hr. 35 mins.
Genre: Horror
In this re-imagining of the classic horror film, Clay searches for his missing sister in the eerie woods of legendary Crystal Lake, where he stumbles on the creaky remains of rotting old cabins behind moss-covered trees. And, that's not the only thing lying in wait under the brush. Against the advice of police and cautions from the locals, Clay pursues what few leads he has, with the help of a young woman he meets among a group of college kids up for an all-thrills weekend. But, they are about to find much more than they bargained for. Little do they know, they've entered the domain of one of the most terrifying specters in American film history-the infamous killer who haunts Crystal Lake, armed with a razor-sharp machete--Jason Voorhees.
Watch TrailerReview
Remake. Reboot. Rehash. Any way you slice it, the new Friday the 13th is the same-old, same-old.
Story
Crystal Lake. Dumb kids in the woods. Sex, drugs, booze. A hulking maniac in a hockey mask, wielding a machete. Yeah, that about sums it up.
Acting
Are you kidding? The new Jason, Derek Mears, probably fares best among the actors, because he doesn't have a single word of dialogue. Everyone else unfortunate enough to stumble in front of the camera – Jared Padalecki, Amanda Righetti, Danielle Panabaker, Travis Van Winkle – is basically fodder for the slaughter. Some of them get naked. Most of them get dead. Some die more gorily than others. No one dies quickly enough.
Direction
Having previously (and woefully) directed the 2003 remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, helmer Marcus Nispel does his best – and worst – to resurrect yet another popular horror franchise from the past. He also adds absolutely nothing new to the formula. Quite frankly, anyone could've directed this film. Judging by the results, anyone did. This is the 12th Friday the 13th film, for those keeping score at home, and with any luck it'll be the last. Of course, it won't be. But we can always hope.
Bottom Line
Hollywood.com rated this film 1 star.
Synopsis
In this re-imagining of the classic horror film, Clay searches for his missing sister in the eerie woods of legendary Crystal Lake, where he stumbles on the creaky remains of rotting old cabins behind moss-covered trees. And, that's not the only thing lying in wait under the brush. Against the advice of police and cautions from the locals, Clay pursues what few leads he has, with the help of a young woman he meets among a group of college kids up for an all-thrills weekend. But, they are about to find much more than they bargained for. Little do they know, they've entered the domain of one of the most terrifying specters in American film history-the infamous killer who haunts Crystal Lake, armed with a razor-sharp machete--Jason Voorhees.