Review of Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981) by Forrest P — 04 Sep 2010

My first reaction to Friday The 13th Part 2 was slightly more positive than my retrospective look on it. I think a lot of that has to do with how forgettable this film is.

It?s one of those sequels that was completely unavoidable, but still incredibly unnecessary. All this film did was open a door to a dozen or so sequels to a barely-better-than-mediocre film. Granted, Friday The 13th Part 2 wasn?t one of the worst films I?ve ever seen. It?s just so damn forgettable.

I do remember that this one did put in a little effort with characters. Perhaps more so than its predecessor. But when all that is chipped away?chipped in a way that would not take long, mind you?what is left is still an extremely formulaic picture. Is it as bad as other slasher films I?ve seen? No. And in some ways, it?s better. But it has nothing to offer, really, except for the beginnings of a very famous slasher killer. One who has no personality, no real motivation, and not dialogue.

The ending of this movie was okay. I liked it about as much as the ending of the first movie. (Odd that I have thus far half-way liked all the endings of the Friday The 13th movies, but hated a majority of the endings to the Nightmare On Elm Street films?).

Bottom line: this film does indeed try. It seems to know where its weaknesses are and tries to get around them as much as possible. The biggest problem is its sad devotion to an ugly and horrendously stupid formula of Mute Killer meets Horny Teenagers.

4/10.