Perhaps no other horror film in history, at least in the Slasher sub-genre, was as anticipated as Freddy vs Jason. After spending years in development hell, the film was unleashed onto the public in August of 2003. Oh boy....
First, let me say that I am a huge fan of both franchises. I was raised on these films, and although some of them in both series', hit below the mark in many areas (Jason X, Freddy's Dead, etc.) none of them reached the lows that Freddy vs Jason plummeted to.
First, the film really doesn't have the feel of either series. Instead of the stark visuals and above average cinematography that we're used to seeing from the Friday the 13th and A Nightmare On Elm Street films, Freddy vs Jason looks like something you'd see in a direct-to-video release.
Next, the acting in this film is absolutely dreadful. I know some would say that neither series was known for it's Oscar caliber performances, but never has it been this bad. Plus, even if the acting was up to par, we wouldn't care, because none of the characters are likable... AT ALL.
Of course, what would Friday the 13th and A Nightmare On Elm Street be without their respected patriarchs Jason Voorhees and Freddy Krueger? Neither are given justice in this film. Jason seems to have changed ethnicity between films, and the Freddy-mythology that even the lesser-quality Freddy sequels was built on has been drastically altered.
Who could forget the trademarks of these films: The special effects? Well, in this one, Jason looks like a seven-foot homeless person who, thanks to a particularly robotic and stiff performance by Ken Kirzinger (who should not be mentioned in the same sentence as Kane Hodder and Ted White) does nothing more than stand on his mark and slowly swing his machete, which even seems to grow by several feet between scenes.
The Freddy make-up in this one isn't consistent either. It looks like a paint by numbers project which not even Robert Englund can bring to life.
The writing is also particularly bad. Many scripts for FVJ were rejected. The question is: Why wasn't this one thrown into the fire with the previously rejected scripts? It's THAT bad. Characters spout exposition in nearly every scene, Jason disappears for a good 30 minutes (without explanation), and the dialog is brutal. ("Freddy died by fire, Jason by water; how can we use that?") See what I mean? The film is more of a spoof on the genre than a full-fledged entry.
The title is also misleading. This film is not really Freddy vs Jason, but Freddy and Jason vs Teenagers. Only in the last 20 minutes do the title characters fight, and it doesn't really pay off. To say that this film is anti-climactic would be an understatement.
As fan of these films, I find this movie insulting to both the previous films, and the fans as well. As bad as some of the other sequels may be, this one takes the cake as the worst in both series'.
1/10, although I'd give it a 0 if I could.
First, let me say that I am a huge fan of both franchises. I was raised on these films, and although some of them in both series', hit below the mark in many areas (Jason X, Freddy's Dead, etc.) none of them reached the lows that Freddy vs Jason plummeted to.
First, the film really doesn't have the feel of either series. Instead of the stark visuals and above average cinematography that we're used to seeing from the Friday the 13th and A Nightmare On Elm Street films, Freddy vs Jason looks like something you'd see in a direct-to-video release.
Next, the acting in this film is absolutely dreadful. I know some would say that neither series was known for it's Oscar caliber performances, but never has it been this bad. Plus, even if the acting was up to par, we wouldn't care, because none of the characters are likable... AT ALL.
Of course, what would Friday the 13th and A Nightmare On Elm Street be without their respected patriarchs Jason Voorhees and Freddy Krueger? Neither are given justice in this film. Jason seems to have changed ethnicity between films, and the Freddy-mythology that even the lesser-quality Freddy sequels was built on has been drastically altered.
Who could forget the trademarks of these films: The special effects? Well, in this one, Jason looks like a seven-foot homeless person who, thanks to a particularly robotic and stiff performance by Ken Kirzinger (who should not be mentioned in the same sentence as Kane Hodder and Ted White) does nothing more than stand on his mark and slowly swing his machete, which even seems to grow by several feet between scenes.
The Freddy make-up in this one isn't consistent either. It looks like a paint by numbers project which not even Robert Englund can bring to life.
The writing is also particularly bad. Many scripts for FVJ were rejected. The question is: Why wasn't this one thrown into the fire with the previously rejected scripts? It's THAT bad. Characters spout exposition in nearly every scene, Jason disappears for a good 30 minutes (without explanation), and the dialog is brutal. ("Freddy died by fire, Jason by water; how can we use that?") See what I mean? The film is more of a spoof on the genre than a full-fledged entry.
The title is also misleading. This film is not really Freddy vs Jason, but Freddy and Jason vs Teenagers. Only in the last 20 minutes do the title characters fight, and it doesn't really pay off. To say that this film is anti-climactic would be an understatement.
As fan of these films, I find this movie insulting to both the previous films, and the fans as well. As bad as some of the other sequels may be, this one takes the cake as the worst in both series'.
1/10, although I'd give it a 0 if I could.