Friday the 13th, part 2
release year: 1981
genre: horror
viewing setting: home Bluray 12/17/22 and home DVD Friday 9/13/02 (and several more times in the 1980s)
synopsis: Ignoring recent murders, some teenage counselors try to set up summer camp in the vicinity of Crystal Lake (spoiler: they don't succeed.)
impressions: The most common criticism I hear about this and other late-70s/early-80s slasher films is that they're the same old thing, blah blah blah. What some morons forget (and the rest never know) is that this was one of the first...that's right, it came BEFORE almost all others. It was actually one of the first and thus didn't copy anything, it actually was the one that got copied later on. Anyway, this is a sequel to Friday the 13th which was a mix of spookiness and gore. This is the one that introduced Jason as a bona fide killer, although this Jason wears a potato sack over his head and isn't superhuman or indestructible, he's just a lumbering goon. Sometimes he even stumbles or trips, and several times he is stunned or knocked out by someone. A strong opening scene and a competent heroine also add to this movie, making it one of the better in the (admittedly long and often tedious) overall series. One negative note: ever since the early 1980s, I've remembered this movie as the first I ever saw with a cop-out ending. Several major plot points are unexplained or unresolved when the credits roll, and given the fact that part 3 hadn't even been conceived while this one was shooting, the ending really pissed me off.
body count: 9 confirmed.
notable kills: The guy in the wheelchair gets a machete to the face, then rolls down the steps. Also, Jason gets a 2-for-1 deal with a double spear impalement of a couple in bed..
acting: Amy Steel is the main girl, who (despite doing a few stupid things, such as leaving an unconscious Jason alive and fleeing) generally keeps her shit together and deals with the problem. John Furey is her boyfriend/boss/head counselor who maintains order, at least until Jason's big rampage. Stu Charno is the token dork who provides some comic relief. Kirsten Baker is one of the counselors, and possesses not only a cute dog but also one of the finest assets ever seen in this series. Tom McBride is the guy in the wheelchair, and does a good job as a likeable and funny character. Adrienne King returns briefly as the sole survivor of the last massacre.
final word: Basic slasher fare, and one of the better among this series.
back to the main review page