Review of Friday the 13th Part III (1982) by Ben B — 04 Sep 2011

The third entry to the "Friday the 13th" series is predictable, pointless, and horridly acted. While the first two at least showed signs of competance, this installment unfortunately was made soley to capitalize on the second wave of 3D.

What didn't work in the 50's (and isn't working now) applies here, as the film makers make any and all excuses to have characters hold, dangle, and throw objects in front of the camera. I counted at least 20 such awkward instances.

I cannot properly describe how bad the 3D work is when the film is watched in 2D. Actually, the special effects in general are pretty shoddy across the board. With a few exceptions, the kills are unimaginative and downright laughable at times (I challenge anyone to find any movie scene more stupid than the eyeball popping out of the head scene in this one).

The one good reason to see "Friday the 13th Part 3" is to see Jason acquire his trademark hockey mask. This is the first film of the series that features such indescript, unlikeable characters that the audience ends up just rooting for Jason instead of being scared of him.

Need I mention the fact that there is a lame biker gang inserted for him to kill off? At best it just tries to replicate exactly what happened in the first two, and at worst it's a shallow parody of them.

Thankfully, the climactic battle is a valient attempt to save the film, as it features an effective chase and genuine tension. In fact, this actually contains the best "final girl" showdown so far.

The rest of the film is only entertaining in a so-bad-it's-good sort of way. The well had really run dry by this point, but fans of the series will find something to like in laughing along with the absurdity.

Score: 4/10.