Review of Jason X (2001) by Everett J — 11 Mar 2009

Jason X.

Directed by James Isaac.

Written by Todd Farmer.

Based on characters created by Victor Miller.

Starring Kane Hodder, Lexa Doig, Chuck Campbell, Lisa Ryder, Peter Mensah, Melyssa Ade, Derwin Jordan, Jonathan Potts, Dov Tiefenbach, David Cronenberg.

What would a 455 year old cryogenically frozen serial killer go for in the mid 25th century? Could he be put on display like an ancient artifact and paraded in front of the slavering masses for fun and profit?

A government researcher named Rowan (Doig) has decided to cryogenically freeze Jason Voorhees (Hodder) after it has been determined that he cannot be executed due to his ability to regenerate. The government, however, wants to make money off of Jason and make plans to further research in the direction of understanding the nature of regenerative process. Naturally chaos ensues when Jason escapes and butchers numerous soldiers. He is finally contained and frozen but not before he stabs a government researcher named Rowan and pierces the chamber causing a leak which freezes her as well. They are discovered in 2455 and Rowan is reanimated. Jason is considered too far gone and left alone. This proves to be a major miscalculation because Jason comes to life and begins the fine processes of thinning out the herd.

The first half of this film is actually entertaining. With Jason roaming about picking off more soldiers one by one it has a particular rhythm that sustains it for a considerable length of time. But then Jason disappears and it turns into a rather pedestrian story about a scared crew trying to get off of their space ship. Once Jason disappears the story recedes and there just isn?t anything worth getting worked up over.

The film features a whole lot of techno speak which obviously means something to somebody but if you don?t speak the language you end up nodding your head a lot wishing Jason would burst through a door and slaughter whatever annoying tit is polluting the screen with his or her inane warblings.

Again, early on it feels that the sci-fi/spree killer matrix is going to work out just fine. It?s a fantastic concept: putting Jason on board with a group of faceless, nameless gits who make good fodder for a creature as gifted as our hero. And as long as the killings continue, it appears that the film is successful. Unfortunately they take the star out of the film and spend the next half whining and puling about how they are going to escape the heavily damaged vessel and make it out alive. It?s like ?Aliens? without the pulsating glamour of the beasts and it just doesn?t mean much in the end.

The film looks like every other sci-fi catastrophe film ever made only a bit cheaper. It?s got the fancy computer networks, nifty devices, plus the ability to regenerate flesh, reattach limbs, etc. People have all moved to Earth 2 because the first Earth is too polluted. It?s a chic snap at human kind?s continuing use of their home planet as a garbage dump.

Admittedly, all of the females in this filmed are highly sexed up. They wear skimpy little outfits that clearly make the film more watchable. Without them, one would just fade into oblivion because none of the men are worth looking at. They are all expendable and as always it?s a grave pleasure to watch most of them get snuffed out.

Kay-Em 14 is one hot love-bot. She has been created for reasons that are readily apparent to anyone who has seen her making out with her creator. With Jason on the loose he gives her an upgrade and she suddenly showcases two enormous guns which manage to blow Jason to smithereens. Sexy women (even robot women) with guns are always welcome and this film manages to deliver quite effectively on that front. It?s about the only truly fascinating part of the second half of the film. Otherwise its just watching the crew members waiting and hoping that Jason cannot break through and slaughter them all. He has his chances but is repeatedly rebuffed so a handful of them eventually do escape and Jason is cast out into oblivion.

Overall, this film manages to entertain for roughly ninety minutes before being transformed into a by-the-numbers sci-fi thriller. Jason remains the only truly viable character and his mad killing spree is the highlight of the film. He?s a force of pure animal magnetism because he always seems to attract those who are just crying out to be butchered where they stand. There are some regrettable kills in this film. I was quite enjoying watching Adrienne (Angus) pretending to do some scientific work. Like always, Jason always kills the most sexually alluring female first. He simply cannot stand female sexuality and must destroy it whenever he encounters it.