Friday the 13th Part 3 Review

                                                                          7.5/10

It was 1982, and audiences all around the world had already been shocked by two "Friday the 13th" films.  Many people people probably wondered if they would be able to witness another installment.  Well the answer to this was yes.  The thing that probably really surprised people was that now they could see the brutal antics of Jason Voorhees in 3D!!!!  "Friday the 13th Part 3" is a different film.  It follows the same theme of the first two, but it has a very different tone. This film went much more towards a fun factor.  While there are still brutal killings, you spend a lot more time laughing than you are in terror.  This film also marks the very appearance of Jason's iconic hockey mask. While I don't see this film to be as good as the first two films, or some of the others in the series, but it is still definitely a fun flick, and it has some awesome 3D moments. Critics panned this film to the bone. It was given 14% rotten on Rotten Tomatoes.  I think this was harsh for the film to be trashed this hard, because while it's not a technically good film, it definitely gives the audience what is wanted in a horror film. 

The film once again starts off with flashbacks of the film before. This works very well, because in the time they were released, the people may have forgot what happened, so they get refreshed now and they can see the next chapter of the film.  The film then starts with the logo/title sequence.  While this one is cool, it is definitely a drop down from the awesomeness of the first two films. It is much more colorful, and the background is filled with a synthy 80's song.  This is definitely a nice touch, but I almost like the simplicity of the first two intros more.  This one took away from the intensity and terror of the original ones.

This film took a huge turn in personality.  It was much heavier on the jokes.  There are more laughing moments than there are scary in my opinion. This sometimes causes the film to be cheesy, but I don't see this as a problem, because it really makes a balance between the harsh realities of the series, and some good fun. One of the funniest gags of the film is the van scene where they think cops are after them.

I feel that the acting was lesser than the first two, but still good enough to be watchable.  Some of the performances come across as sappy, and almost forced.  The biggest example of the is probably Shelly(Larry Zerner).  He is supposed to be a funnier character, and while this succeeds at many times, there also scenes where he is truly annoying.  I think Dana Kimmell does a great job in the role of the lead female, because she gives you reasons to like her with her great personality, and she just really excels at giving a good horror girl performance.  I also think that Richard Brooker did a fantastic job in the role of Jason, because behind Kane Hodder, I find him to be the most convincing and suspenseful Jason of all.  Other than that, there aren't any huge standouts in the film, but the rest of the cast is neutral and good. 

This movie is one of the least gory of the series, and I feel that it was hit too hard by the censors, because the kills don't really strike me the same way as in other films. They're still great ones, but they are mainly off screen or quick shots, so they don't have the same kick as other movies in the series. That being said, there is a couple great scenes of violence(one in awesome 3D).  I don't know why this one was cut so much more than others, or if maybe it wasn't made to be gory. It definitely would've held up a little better if it was amped up a little in my opinion. 

Jason in this film is great. The performance(as mentioned above), the look, and just everything. This film was the first to show Jason with the hockey mask, so it was not damaged at all, and it looked great.  Richard was also a huge guy, so Jason has a hulking quality to him, and it worked really well.  Look wise, he is definitely my favorite, but personality wise Kane Hodder did it best for me. 

This movie was definitely influenced heavily by the 80's culture.  Even though it was only two years into the decade, you can definitely tell that they were going for a hip movie with more synth music, and flashy clothes at time.  One of the most apparent moments of this is the scenes with the gang. They're wearing lots of leather, and even as far as red leather. You can't get much more 80's than that.  I also feel that this tied into the fact that there was a lot more marijuana use in this film, and it got a little excessive at points, even though it is looked down upon as it is in all of the films. I think that this film didn't age as well as the others, but it is still likable. I just think it was made more for the decade than in the long run.  While the others were made in ways that people forever could love, this one strikes me as one that was made quickly for the season. This is understandable though, because they had made three movies in three years, and it is still a fairly good film in my opinion. 

I think the greatest thing about this film is the ending. It is so memorable, and even though I won't describe it here in consideration that many of you may have not seen the film, I promise you that this ending will never be forgotten, and it will shock you too. The only part of the ending that I don't like is the fact that there is an ending on a boat, which is almost repeating the events of the first film. I wish they could've come up with something a little different, because repeating the first film almost shows that they were struggling for an idea, and this was very early in the series to be doing that. 

In the long run, this is not a bad film, but it is not a great film.  It was really made to be good horror fun, and not any masterpiece.  I'd personally say, that there are much better films in the series. But this is definitely one that is worth a watch, and to find your own opinion on.  I honestly liked it quite a bit, but I don't think it's at the same quality level as many others.  

What do you all think about this installment? Is it your favorite? Least favorite? Or just a middle film in the series?  Feel free to comment and voice these opinions on this blog.