'' is a
Slasher Film , the fifth
Sequel to the original ''
Friday The 13th ''. The film was written and directed by
Tom McLoughlin who made the film inspired by his love of the classic
Hammer Films .
Jason Voorhees is dead. After the killer was brutally murdered by a young
Tommy Jarvis , his body lay rotting in a grave in Crystal Lake, now renamed Forest Green by a town desperately trying to forget their horrible past. But when an adult Tommy returns to ensure that Jason is in fact, dead, it is he, ironically, that brings the monster back to life. Now seemingly unstoppable, Jason claims a new set of victims while he makes his way to his old killing grounds at the newly reopened camp. As Tommy desperately tries to get the police to listen to his claims, he is being hounded by a stubborn sheriff who's trying to keep him silent; meanwhile his daughter has taken an interest in him. Once Jason steps foot on "Camp Blood", Tommy devises a plan to kill Jason and send him to
Hell once and for all.
- This is the only film in the series that does not contain any onscreen nudity.
- Jason parodies the James Bond Gun Barrel Sequence during the opening credits.
- This is the first film in the series to revisit the campgrounds of Crystal Lake, and the only to show it actually open. This was penultimate to its final appearance in '' Freddy Vs. Jason '', which by this time would be closed and empty, ready to be built over.
- The film is also the only installment aside from the original film to be set on (or at least stated to be set on) a Friday The 13th .
- It's been said that before the negative reaction over '''', the film's original plot picked up where it ended with Tommy doing the killings. However, the backlash over the fake Jason caused this to be dropped with immediate plans to bring Jason back. The desire to assure fans that it was the real Jason this time even extended to the subtitle: ''Jason Lives''.
- The script contained material that alluded to Jason's father, which, to date, remains the closest the series has ever come to shedding light on the mysterious character. In the material we would see Pamela 's headstone next to Jason's; a reference to the fact that someone paid to have Jason buried, which would have explained why he wasn't Cremated as the Mayor stated in Part 5; and a final scene in which Jason's father (Elias) visits his son's grave, seemingly aware of the fact that Jason isn't inside. These scenes were filmed, but excised; however, they did make it to the film's Novelization .
- While C.J. Graham portrays Jason for most of the film (as well as being uncredited for the character's stunts), crew member Dan Bradley was originally hired to play Jason. He plays Jason during the paintball murder scene but after seeing the footage, Paramount were unhappy with his performance, and Graham was recast for the part.
- There is some debate among fans as to whether the film is a continuation from the previous film, or if it in fact simply writes over it. It is often stated that Tommy's state of mental health is too radically different to his at the end of ''A New Beginning''. None of the subsequent films have acknowledged it, but have also done nothing to negate it. However, the novelization of ''Freddy vs. Jason'' by Stephen Hand maintains that the events of both films occurred. Still, some fans believe that the previous film represents Tommy's visions and dreams of Jason while he is a mental patient due to the trauma he suffered, because Part 5 contains several scenes where Tommy has visions of Jason killing people, or himself killing others. This would explain why he goes to Jason's grave in Part 6 to finish the job, which ends up having the opposite effect.
- Unususally, Jason is seen in full, including his face, from the beginning of the film. Typically, only quick, brief shots of the killer are used prior to the climax of the film.
- To pay homage to Jason's '' Frankenstein ''-like resurrection, the director used the name " Karloff " to name the gas station in which Tommy calls Megan for help.
- The original poster with Jason's headstone (as seen above) is noticably similar to promotional images for the unrelated ''''.
The film is often praised by fans of the series, many of whom call it the best in the series. Many fans also cite the film's
Soundtrack as particularly good, with
Alice Cooper 's theme song often praised. Many mainstream critics have also reviewed the film less harshly than the other entries. Both fans and critics have pointed out the film's use of
Black Humour , the former finding it a refreshing touch to what many call a tired series. The characters are also said to be better scripted, fleshed out better for victims than the other installments. Tom McLoughlin's directing has also been highly acclaimed. However, some fans are not as positive. Many do not believe that the insertion of comedy fits in with the film. Others cite Jason's resurrection as ludicrous, and that it brought the supernatural element only hinted at in previous films into the foreground. The film has also been criticised for turning Jason from the villain he was portrayed as in the previous films into an
Anti-hero .
