danielbarrett-61105

"Friday the 13th--Part 2" is a worthwhile film for horror fans. True, it's quality is not on par with "The Exorcist", but the film does try to incorporate a deeper context, even some sympathy, around the iconic villain, Jason. The audience is even provided with an idea of how Jason has been surviving in the wilderness. In this sequel, a group of teenage counselors are attending a counselors' training camp near Crystal Lake, five years after the events in the first movie. Jason begins to target the interlopers using a diversity of tools and methods that keep each kill scene fresh. Near the climax of the film, we get to see that he is concealing his face with a burlap sack (the hockey mask doesn't appear until later films) which adds a strong menacing air to the character.

One negative, in my opinion, is the extended dream sequence at the beginning of the film composed of snippets from the first film. I know that the purpose behind this was to review what had previously happened, but it seemed pointlessly long unless it was also a means of making the film a bit longer. Also, there were several jump scares which I consider a cheap way of exciting an audience's reaction. I personally prefer a buildup of authentic tension, but that is generally not the way in which 80s slasher films are built.

Slasher films like this aren't meant to be thought about too deeply, but I do appreciate the effort to build a stronger story about the villain. Overall, this is a decent sequel and a worthwhile film for classic horror fans.