Review of Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981) by Ian B — 07 Feb 2009

Wait a minute, how can there be a Friday the 13th Part 2? Mrs. Voorhees is dead and Jason drown in Crystal Lake. Well, I'll tell ya how...who cares! Jason is magically alive, saw his mother get killed, and has been living in the woods all these years waiting to exact his revenge on the next batch of teenagers who dare to return to Crystal Lake.

Yes, Friday the 13th Part 2 is essentially a remake of the first movie, but this time we have a better director, better actors, and a much better villain (minus the hockey mask). The film gets off to a slow start, but once the bodies start piling up, director Steve Miner manages to create some incredibly entertaining and suspenseful set-pieces.

Despite being unfairly butchered by the MPAA, Part 2 still contains some of the best, and most inventive, kills in the series. This is also the only Friday the 13th that attempts to make Jason's existence plausible, which gives the film a creepy vibe that none of the others re-captured.

The fact we're also treated to the series' best "final girl" in Amy Steel is just the icing on the cake. What Friday the 13th Part 2 lacks in originality, it makes up for with plenty of suspense, likeable characters, a genuine sense of fun, and (obviously) Jason taking centre stage.