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Thursday, March 28, 2024
The Observer

Horror legends make killer comeback

Freddy vs. Jason, directed by Ronny Yu, is an epic romance of star-crossed lovers, forever kept apart because of a cruel twist of fate.Yeah, right.At this point in history, practically everyone has seen one of the Nightmare on Elm Street or Friday the 13th sagas. In the very least, one has at least been exposed to their influence. Every Halloween, one is almost overwhelmed by the flood of hockey masks and glove knives. The latest movie, Freddy vs. Jason, counts as Freddy's eighth film, and Jason's 11th. After all this time, the image of someone beating a dead horse springs to mind. So it is surprising to discover that Freddy vs. Jason is a great little flick. As can be expected, the plot is predictable with all of the standard precedents of the two series still in effect. Freddy cracks wise while pursuing his victims. Jason walks slowly, and yet still catches the running teen (after she trips of course). Blood is spilt by the gallon. And of course, the members of society that drink, smoke, and have premarital sex are the first to go, making one wonder if the scriptwriters also wrote du Lac (with the drugs and sex business, NOT the massive spilling of blood).But of course, the plot isn't the real reason to see the movie, although it's still pretty fun with plenty of drinking game potential. The real reason to see the movie is for the last 20 minutes that features the much-anticipated fight. It's choreographed well, although don't expect to see Jason dodging bullets as the camera slowly whirls around him. However, since both anti-heroes are dead, they can take quite a bit of abuse from each other. The DVD is quite nice as one can always just skip all the boring dialogue, plot elements, and people in various stages of undress to witness the showdown.The DVD was released as a 2-disc special edition, and it shows in the details. The video is top-notch. Never before has being bad looked so good. The audio on the DVD is also crystal (lake) clear. You're able to hear all of the sound effects in all their gory detail, which is either an advantage or disadvantage depending on your disposition.In the way of special features, the DVD offers commentary from the director and the actors who played Jason and Freddy. It also offers some deleted scenes, some of which are actually quite funny but cut for good reason. For the gore hounds out there, the DVD also offers a "skip to a death" along with a scene selection.Freddy vs. Jason is a fun DVD that is definitely not for everyone, and those people probably know who they are. However, if you have ever considered watching either one of the two killer's respective movies, this is a good place to start. It does a good job of re-introducing the two main characters, along with having the best parts of either series. The sheer carnage displayed at the end is a visual treat, although not for the weak-hearted.