Friday the 13th

Rated R · 1 hr 37 min · 2009

Horror

www.fridaythe13thmovie.com

Producer Michael Bay again joins forces with director Marcus Nispel to reboot an iconic slasher-film franchise—and the result is a slick and respectable remake of Friday the 13th. Nispel, working for Bay’s Platinum Dunes, did a so-so job of remaking The Texas Chainsaw Massacre in 2003, and he fares much better with his take on Jason Voorhees, the woeful drowned boy with mommy issues from Camp Crystal Lake. One of the reasons this remake feels successful is that the original sucked ass. I’ve always liked the premise of the Friday the 13th franchise, but I’ve never been a big fan of its execution by filmmakers. This time out, the scares are plentiful; the movie looks good; and Jason has a little more personality.

By Bob Grimm