By: debbie lynn elias
The long awaited battle to end all battles has finally arrived. Will it be Freddy or will it be Jason who survive their ultimate duel? That’s right. Opening this week in theaters nationwide, Freddy Krueger of Nightmare on Elm Street fame comes head to head, er, make that, razors to chainsaws, with Jason of Friday the 13th’s Camp Crystal Lake and let me tell you, this showdown was worth the wait.A long time Freddy fan myself, seems old razor boy has been getting a bit bored. Weakened and in the midst of a lull, Freddy has been biding his time, just waiting to get back into the thick of things on elm Street, like committing horrific slasher acts. As to be expected, out of sight out of mind and over the years, the Elm Street residents have forgotten all about poor Freddy and due to their forgetfulness, he is unable to penetrate their dreams and come to life. As luck would have it though, Freddy finds a way to transport the immortal killer himself, Jason Voorhees, to Elm Street which results in Jason committing his own brand of slashing and hacking with a steadily rising body count. And of course, once body bags appear, Freddy’s name is on the tip of everyone’s tongue.
On seeing a body bag roll out of a Elm Street residence, one local teen goes round the bend and off the deep end, playing right into Freddy’s steely grip. The more people talk, the stronger Freddy gets and pretty soon, Freddy is back in full force. But there’s a catch, Jason is still on the loose and no one plays on Freddy’s street but Freddy. So, Freddy sets out to send Jason back from whence he came.
With battles raging from Elm Street to Camp Crystal Lake, “Freddy vs. Jason” has enough blood, gore and horror to satisfy even the most devoted fan of the genre. One or two extraordinarily executed kills guarantee not only a gasp, but applause. Obvious devotees of Freddy and Jason, virgin screenwriters Damian Shannon and Mark Swift, have mastered the characters and their respective idiosyncracies beautifully and never moreso than with Freddy, who still delivers a very witty repartee and who still loves his own humor more than humanly possible. Unfortunately, while the back story is told in great detail and the expected blood and guts flow, they fall short on developing what could have been an interesting storyline involving these two characters rather than some gratuitous plot lines that seem out of place in the context of the characters.
Although not as inventive or surprising as his earlier “Bride of Chucky”, director Ronny Yu (who has now directed two generations of Ritters in horror films – John in “Bride of Chucky” and Jason here) gives us a film far superior to other sequels in the respective franchises. While staying true to the respective characters and genre, not to mention a fanatical audience, there is no lack of nostalgia here and Yu doesn’t shortchange us on the gruesome gore or comedy. Finger chopping, decapitation and death by collapsible bed are just a few of the treats in store. Quick action and self-deprecating humor is only enhanced by Fred Murphy’s cinematography. Murphy, responsible for “The Mothman Prophecies” does wonders with nightwork.
Joyously, Robert Englund, in a role for which he will be forever synonymous, returns as Freddy. No one wields a razored finger like Englund. Disappointingly, the powers that be at New Line opted to replace perhaps the best Jason in the Friday the 13th series, Kane Hodder, with stuntman Ken Kirzinger, believing that Hodder would be unable to take Jason to the maniacal limits called for here. While Kirzinger does a fine job, I believe Hodder had a better grasp of the character and would have delivered if called upon. Jason Ritter, Monica Keena and Kelly Rowland are merely tools for our “stars” and while adequate, fall short of some of their predecessor teenaged victims in the fear department.
Sure, some will think this movie dumb. Sure, some will think it funny or even ridiculous. But while not a film masterpiece by any means, “Jason vs. Freddy” is destined to become a cult classic and a box office hit. So place your bets – will it be Freddy or Jason whose still standing at the end of it all. Ding. Ding.
Freddy Krueger: Robert Englund Jason Voorhees: Ken Kirzinger Lori: Monica Keena Kia: Kelly Rowland Will: Jason Ritter Tim: James Callahan
A New Line Cinema picture. Written by Damian Shannon and Mark Swift based on characters by Wes Craven and Victor Miller. Directed by Ronny Yu. Rated R. (97 minutes)
