The Adolescence of Jason: Steve Miner's Friday the 13th Part 2

Paramount Pictures must have been overwhelmed with the success of Friday the 13th, given that the sequel was released almost exactly one year after its predecessor. Sean S. Cunningham handed the directing duties over to Steve Miner, who was obviously proud to be contributing to this growing franchise. Before the pre-credit sequence, there's a title card letting us know we're about to watch "A Steve Miner Film," so if we enjoy it there's no question who we should thank. My guess would be that Miner was excited about making Friday the 13th Part 2 because he got to give us our first glimpse of Jason in action. The result is not quite what I was expecting.

The pre-credit sequence is so overdone it's exhausting. Alice (once again played by Adrienne King), the lone survivor of Mrs. Voorhees's reign of terror, is having a nightmare made up of footage from the first movie. A few refreshers would be sufficient, but for some reason, Miner feels the need to assault us with about a dozen clips. By the time the actual movie starts, I was relieved and a bit weary about what I was getting into. It's a frequent rule in horror sequels that the survivor from the last movie is not allowed to live in this one, and shortly after Alice's flashbacks of torment, Jason finds her. He's all grown up now and living in the woods near Crystal Lake, complete with his mother's severed head and the sweater she wore while avenging his death.

The set up is very similar to the one from the first movie. The counselors arrive at camp a few days early in order to get things ready and are eventually the victims of an unstoppable killing force. What sets this entry apart from the last chapter is the approach to the material. Miner has a lot of fun playing with the conventions, and actually builds some real suspense in ways I would not have anticipated. I mentioned in the last review how the most likable character, the one I expected to live to the end, was the first one taken out. I had a similar vibe this time when an attractive blond named Ginny (Amy Steel)is introduced. She arrives late, and when the head counselor scolds her, she responds by saying she is sorry and she will not be late again for the rest of her life. It seems like this should be a red flag, but sure enough, Ginny, who certainly comes close to getting slashed on a number of occasions, is still alive once the end credits roll.

The voyeuristic POV tactic felt ripped off from Halloween in the first movie, so instead of simply duplicating the style, Miner uses it as an opportunity to make the audience uncomfortable. The camera stalks the characters even when Jason isn't around, which leads to some truly surprising shots. The most impressive aspect of it is the fact he's able to get mileage out of doing this throughout the whole movie. It could have worn out its welcome really fast, but every so often, Miner will find a way to wink at the audience to give us some relief (like when a character who has been skinny dipping throws her towel over the camera).

Surprisingly, the first counselor isn't offed until about the fifty one minute mark. There are a few murders before then, but I must say I hadn't really noticed how much time had passed because the movie was having such a good time toying with me. The killings, just as in the first movie, are not particularly scary but just as brutal. Jason apparently took a cue from his mother, as he prefers sharp weapons and his objective is for the victim to die quickly. Although while Jason's mother felt she was being "guided" by her son to kill, there's never any evidence (at least not until the end) that Mrs. Voorhees is asking Jason to avenge her death. During the climactic chase, Ginny finds Jason's hideout and puts his mother's sweater on, convinced that seeing it will be enough to fool him into believing she is his mother.

It makes sense because as far as we can tell, Jason has no perception of the difference between male and female. His entrance at the end of the first movie was technically his "birth" (he came out of the water, after all), so this would serve as his period of adolescence. Miner handles it with a great deal of awkwardness and bizarre humor. Jason, while super strong, is a bit of a klutz and gets caught off guard on several instances. My favourite has to be when Ginny is hiding under the bed and Jason decides to wait for her by standing on a chair. Once she begins to creep out, he lunges to stab her with a pitchfork and loses his balance.

As shown at the end of the first movie, Jason has a deformed face. Somehow he has become conscious of this, so he keeps himself disguised with a cloth sack that contains one eye hole. It is inevitable that we will see his face at some point, so at the tail end of the picture, when he flies through a window to let the audience know he's not dead, his grotesque features are displayed front and center. The set up to his reveal is priceless. Horror pictures love to create a false sense of hope at the end, especially when we damn well know the killer isn't dead (I don't know how the characters could have thought Jason was dead after slicing into his shoulder with a machete). Ginny and her boyfriend finally believe they are safe, and they rest easier when one of the other counselor's lost dog (named Muffin) wanders back to the cabin. Just as they are beaming over the tiny furball, Jason comes crashing in.

I mentioned in the last review how the first movie felt like all setup. Friday the 13th Part 2 should be the beginning of the payoff but interestingly, it still feels like more setup. Is this a weakness? Yes and no. Yes, because it's taking the series a long time to find a consistent rhythm and no because Jason needs time to get comfortable with what he is. I say "what" instead of "who" because there is no proof that Jason is human anymore. After drowning, he was re-born not as a man, but an instrument of destruction. This is an area I am looking to see explored more as the series progresses, and the fact Miner came back to make Part 3 gives me hope he will continue to find new ways to keep the same set up fresh. Let's keep our fingers crossed.


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