Friday the 13th remake versus the original series

June 13, 9:46 PMSalt Lake City Horror ExaminerMike Benedict

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Friday the 13th set to release on DVD and Blu-Ray

With the upcoming release of the Friday the 13th remake on Blu-Ray and DVD, it seems to be a good time to discuss this film and how it stands up to the original. Actually it is fairer to compare the remake to the first three Friday the 13th films since, on the surface; the remake covers all of the material that it took the original series three films to cover. Warning: This article does contain spoilers.

First of all, here is a list of similarities that the films have in common:

1.  Deranged woman who we find out is named Mrs. Voorhees, goes on a killing spree as a form of vengeance against a group of camp counselors who were making love and not paying attention when her boy supposedly drown. The original Friday the 13th (1980) focuses on this woman and her killing spree whereas the remake covers this plot point in a short introductory scene where Mrs. Voorhees explains to a would-be victim that she is the last that must be killed and that she has killed all of the rest. Mrs. Voorhees is subsequently decapitated by a young female in both films.
2. Some time after the events involving Mrs. Voorhees, a group of young adults find themselves at or around Crystal Lake. Crystal Lake is the location of the aforementioned killing spree. In the remake, there are actually two groups of kids. The first of the two groups are out for a regular camping trip which means drugs, alcohol, and sex. The second group is there taking a vacation in a high-scale cabin. This again means drugs, sex, and alcohol. In the original series, the campers may have found themselves in the woods for different reasons, such as reopening the camp or camp counselor training, but the same premise of drugs, alcohol, and sex were worked into the plot.
3. The son of Mrs. Voorhees, who allegedly drown in the lake, reappears to brutally murder the campers one by one. This killer’s name is Jason. In both iterations of the series Jason is found with a sack wrapped around his head. He then finds a hockey mask and dons it as he continues his murderous rampage.
4. Jason is thought to be killed after taking more punishment than any normal man would be able to take. However, as we all know… Jason never dies.

So, it would seem that one could assume that if they liked the original series that they will like the remake; right? This is not necessarily true. There are definite differences that make the remake differ from the original films.

The biggest difference between the films is that the attitude of the kids differs tremendously. In the original series, the kids were sometimes strange and somewhat annoying, but for the most part they were likeable. In original Friday the 13th parts 1 and 2, the kids were there to work. During the day, they would either be preparing the camp so it is ready for the campers to show up, or they were training themselves on the skills needed to be a camp counselor. In the remake, the kids were shallow, self centered, and seemed to have never worked a day in their life. Most of them were there to party and nothing more. That statement wasn’t meant to condemn those looking for a good time, but when both points regarding the campers are combined, it became difficult to care what fate had in store for them. This, however, was not true for all of the characters in the remake.  The main exception to this rule in the remake is Jared Padalecki’s character who is roaming the wooded area looking for his sister who is missing and who locals believe is already dead.

Is this remake terrible in light of the shallow characters? The answer to that is that it depends upon the viewer. The remake has had reviews that range from glowing assessments to others who regarded this film as complete garbage. Some critics have claimed that the reboot adds nothing new, but will likely be enjoyed by fans of the original. Others claim that the remake is so terrible that this film makes the original look like a masterpiece. Finally, there are even some critics who think it’s appropriate to insult anyone who would watch this film.

At the end of the day there seems to be something intangible missing from the remake. As stated above, there are only a few differences in plot, but it just doesn’t seem to have the same soul as the original three films. It doesn’t seem like the same care went into creating this film that went into creating the original films. However, with the right level of expectations, it is an entertaining film that, although may not be original, is definitely fun to watch. The ingredients that make up this film are everything that horror/slasher fans have come to expect and enjoy. There is humor, sex, and most importantly, suspense and gore. Nobody will mistake this film for a masterpiece, but it doesn’t seem like that’s what the filmmakers were going for anyway.