Cast: Kane Hodder, Lexa Doig, Lisa Ryder, Chuck Campbell, Jonathan Potts, Peter Mensah, Melyssa Ade, Todd Farmer, Melody Johnson
Director: James Isaac
Producers: Noel Cunningham, James Isaac
Screenplay: Todd Farmer
Cinematography: Derick V. Underschultz
Music: Harry Manfredini
U.S. Distributor: New Line Cinema
On a certain level, I suppose there's something comforting about watching a movie like this. Jason has been slicing and dicing since almost the beginning of the first slasher craze, and, while he was never as scary as Michael Myers or as sadistically witty as Freddy Krueger, he amassed a sizable following during his heyday. In many ways, the Friday the 13th series established the blueprint for the genre, taking the essentials from Halloween and dumbing them down until only three ingredients were left: sex, gore, and cheap shocks. And, while that was fine for the '80s, it quickly became passé in the '90s. Yet, like their relentless villain, the Friday the 13th movies resisted death. Now, long after Jason should have been entombed for good, he's back at it again, doing what he does best - improving the human gene pool by slaughtering the most stupid members.
Based on the promising trailer for this movie, I was hoping that the filmmakers might recognize that the old formula was worn out and it was time to try something new. Indeed, it actually looked like Jason X might be a comedy - not a "so bad it's good" motion picture, but something intended to deliver laughs. Unfortunately, that's not the case - the trailer is false advertising. While there are times when director James Isaac and screenwriter Todd Farmer throw in some irreverent moments (the "final" words of a macho fighter, the virtual visit to Crystal Lake in the '80s), too much of Jason X plays it straight, and that means boredom. Murder and mayhem of this sort quickly becomes monotonous. There's not even a lot of inventiveness in the way people are killed. It's the straightforward "cut 'em up then move on to the next one" approach.
The movie traverses the same path as its nine predecessors. After a brief setup, Jason starts his rampage. One-by-one, the characters are picked off, until, at the end, a plucky heroine or manly hero dispatches him (temporarily). Most of Jason X takes place on a space ship in the 25th century, which allows the filmmakers to repeatedly rip off Aliens, with Jason standing in for the H.R. Giger's creature. There's also a fairly blatant steal from The Terminator. With all the references to his movies, James Cameron should be getting royalties.
Apparently, people in the year 2455 are just as stupid as they were in the 1980s. As usual, everyone seems to be of the opinion that the best way to catch Jason is to split up, then wander around alone in dark corridors. And, after pumping round after round of bullets into his body and seeing him still coming, it takes an awfully long time for someone to figure out that the way to stop him is to eliminate his arms and legs. Apparently, no one in the Friday the 13th movies has ever seen Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Nevertheless, when Jason finally loses a couple limbs, he looks a little like the Black Knight.
Of course, after Jason is felled, he just happens to fall in a place where the space ship's auto regenerate feature comes into play. Nobody seems to figure this out until a buff-looking Uber-Jason makes his appearance, looking like a cross between a mad NHL goalie and Cuisinart. It goes without saying that he's more unstoppable than ever. It's at this stage when the movie finally acknowledges that things have gotten a little silly, and it starts to go along with the flow. But it takes about 75 minutes to get to this point. And those 75 minutes are pretty painful. In fact, there's not any of that requisite Friday the 13th nudity until the closing moments.
I haven't previously seen any of these actors, and I don't expect to see them again. I suppose Lexa Doig (who plays the "Ripley" role) and Lisa Ryder (the female android) are okay, but I wouldn't rush out to hire them. The prettiest of the bunch is probably Melyssa Ade (Janessa), who shows a fair amount of cleavage. The most annoying is Melody Johnson (Kinsa), who takes far too long to die. Kane Hodder returns as Jason. This is the fourth time he has played the role, although, with his face hidden by the hockey mask, does it matter?
The costumes and special effects both merit a mention. The way the women dress on these space ships gives me hope for the future. There's a blond who performs a medical exam in what appears to be a spandex workout suit, a couple of women whose necklines plunge so deeply that they reveal their belly buttons, and an android with removable nipples. However, while the outfits are impressive, the special effects are not. Anyone remember the television series "Doctor Who"? These would have been right at home in that program, which was world renowned for its cheesy effects work.
Probably the most interesting debate about the movie is what it's really called. Is it "Jason Ex" or "Jason 10". Admittedly, it's the tenth installment of the Friday the 13th series, but, since it's not the tenth movie named "Jason", I believe the former is probably the correct title. The argument, however, will probably rage on, since there's nothing else about the movie worth discussion. Just as long as there's no Jason Ex Eye.
© 2002 James Berardinelli