Friday the 13th #2

 

 

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for me,this sequel to the original was just slightly better,and only
because there is some suspense in this one.i don't think the first one
had any.if it did there was very little.otherwise,it's not that much
different,just a different group of people that end up getting
slaughtered.there are no acting stand outs in this one,but i get the
feeling that Amy Steel was supposed to be the next big thing.this movie
was slightly more graphic than the original,but not much.there's a bit
of nudity,and one instance of the F word being used,but that's it for
coarse language and nudity,as far as far as i can tell.for me,Friday
the 13th Part 2 is a 3/5

As far as I'm concerned, Friday the 13th Part II is the best film in the whole series. Moms did some nice work, but now it's time for the real killing machine to take over. Jason doesn't have the hockey mask yet, and he's not yet the seemingly inhuman, unstoppable killing force he will become, but he definitely earned slasher rookie of the year for his efforts in this film. He doesn't have the scary presence of a Michael Myers, but Jason is all about ruthless, efficient killing. The first few minutes of the film, featuring flashbacks to the climactic scenes of the original, are pretty annoying, but the rest of this film is a great, unsettling ride.

Frankly, I never cared for Alice (Adrienne King), the sole survivor of the first film, so I had no problem with Jason clearing up the only loose end left by his dear, beheaded mother(speaking of unsettling, poor Adrienne King soon left the business altogether because of an ardent fan who began stalking her). Once the extended of the way, we head back to Camp Crystal Lake - actually, another campsite on the lake - where a camp counselor training center is drawing a new cast of potential victims right into Jason's backyard. With the exception of Ted (Stu Charno), I actually liked these young people. The guys are less annoying and the girls are prettier than those in the first film. I must admit I was taken aback by the presence of a cute little dog named Muffin being brought into the danger zone, though. (Do what you want to the people, but I have to draw the line at killing cute little animals.) Even good old Ralphie is back to warn the kids that they are certainly doomed. But come on - it's been five years since the last murders, and everyone knows Jason is just a legend, right?

Some guys seem to have a thing for Terri (Kirsten Baker), which probably has something to do with the fact she likes to wear the shortest shirts allowed by law and to go skinny-dipping, but Ginny (Amy Steel) is my girl. Not only is she cute, she's also a spunky little fighter - and she almost finds an actual use for her psychology degree. She's not smart enough to figure out that you need to beat the hell out of and slice and dice Jason into about 50 pieces when you have him down, but what are you going to do? I would say that Vicki (Lauren-Marie Taylor) is pretty hot, too, but I'd better not because she looks like she's about fifteen years old tops.

Jason's appearance in this film is interesting, especially given the fact that he wouldn't don the hockey mask until Friday the 13th, Part 3 (Widescreen). We actually see his face for the first time near the end, but for most of this film, he wears a sack of some kind over his head. Reportedly, the look was inspired by the killer in The Town That Dreaded Sundown, but the image that I call to mind is that of the sketch of the Zodiac killer as described by Bryan Hartnell. (This attack, in which the Zodiac killer murdered Cecelia Ann Shepard and left Hartnell for dead, is the most eerie and frightening attack I have ever read about, which is why I think it makes for a much more frightening image than the vintage Jason hockey mask.)

The ending of this film is surprisingly open-ended, but I guess the filmmakers already had plans for a next installment in the series. What gets me is the fact that a couple of minor characters I fully expected to see dead actually miss out on all of the murderous fun. Based on Jason's performance here, their deaths would have made very nice additions to the collection. If you ever want to visit Camp Crystal Lake, Friday the 13th Part II should be a necessary part of your travel plans.

"Friday the 13th, Part 2" is well known by horror/slasher fans to be considered the second best of the series. And I don't know why. I'd say part 6 is. But im not here to talk about part 6, so I guess I'll have to review this. Part 2 begins by killing off probably the nicest "last girl" of the series, Alice. On my first viewing, I was dissapointed already. However, Alice is replaced by yet another satisfying "last gir", the sassy and smart Ginny; but she still didn't save the rest of the film from being a dissapointment. The whole movie just seems to be missing something; I have no idea WHAT tho. The rather murky atmosphere also made it a tad depressing. And a poor little dog is killed!About the only thing I liked about the whole thing was Ginny. She, and the first appearence of Jason may have helped some in making this installment so popular...

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3.0 out of 5 stars Ooh, scary... NOT!
Like the initial installment of the series, I found 'Friday the 13th Part 2' kinda hokey, with a few gruesome gore FX here and there. But scary? Hardly... Read more

Published on July 5 2004 by Zagnorch

5.0 out of 5 stars Personal favorite!!
I don't get all the people that trash Friday the 13th movies. Well, I'll admit that part 8 was horrible, but every movie prior to 8 was really entertaining to me. Read more

Published on July 1 2004

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent sequel..!! -Lazy story..!! -Unthinkeble..?
Excellent sequel.. -Better then part 1.. -Though with a new
story that is set right after the original.. -Directed by
Sean S. Cunningham.. Read more

Published on Jun 25 2004 by Robert the Psychoman

5.0 out of 5 stars It's actually my favourite of the series.
Many people don't really count this as a good Jason movie, but I find it to be the best one.

He may not have the "famous" hockey mask. Read more

Published on Jun 21 2004 by P. Woods

2.0 out of 5 stars Not THAT good, but still enjoyable...
"Friday the 13th part 2", while not as well thought out as the first, is more enjoyable than its predecessor, despite its fluffiness. Read more

Published on Jun 19 2004 by Xanadu

3.0 out of 5 stars Friday the 13th, Part 2
The movie was overall fairly good ; it depends in your taste of horror movies.The mask was not very creative, but a few of the characters were well developed. Read more

Published on Jun 4 2004 by mac301

2.0 out of 5 stars A step down from an already mediocre horror film
Without suspense, without real scares, and without any of the tense atmosphere that gave at least something of value to FRIDAY THE 13TH, this sequel---the first in which Jason... Read more

Published on Jun 2 2004 by Kenji Fujishima

3.0 out of 5 stars Friday the 13th, Part 2 (1981)
Director: Steve Miner
Cast: Amy Steel, John Furey, Adrienne King, Betsy Palmer.
Running Time: 87 minutes.
Rated R for violence, gore, and language. Read more

Published on May 25 2004 by The Tweeder

3.0 out of 5 stars Good sequal to a bad series
ALthough most of the teens in this movie are way to stupid to know how to tie their shoes there is one character who I found interesting. It was Ginny played by Amy Steel. Read more

Published on May 24 2004 by N. Fares

5.0 out of 5 stars Friday The 13th Part 2 (1981)
Just when you thought it was safe to back to camp! Friday The 13th had already made a box-office record when it was released in 1980. Read more

Published on May 21 2004 by Chad DeFeo

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