Friday the 13th Part 2 (1980) Review

 

Friday the 13th Part 2 (1980)

Was there any question as to what was next?? I had to continue this streak onto 2, just for my own mental sake.

Friday the 13th Part 2, set five years after the events of the first, follows the opening of a camp adjacent to Camp Crystal Lake, that is once again plagued by murders before it can ever even open.

To say that Part 2, wasn’t just a bloodier, gorier, and larger scale version of the first would be an understatement. The big difference in this though: Jason. For him, the camp and it’s area belongs to him, and seeing mommy get her head lopped off 5 years earlier, didn’t much help the cause for the incoming counselors. Nonetheless however, it was still wickedly enjoyable and gave me serious drawbacks to the 1970s horror/slasher flick The Town That Dreaded Sundown.

Jason is obviously like a teenager, in the body of a linebacker. He’s smart when it doesn’t count, and a dunce when it does, lacking much skill or ability in this, naturally.

Something I always admired about these movies is they always cast absolute nobodies, causing you to wonder who will be the winner of this series of killer Wonka tests. It makes for interesting acting too, with some standing out and others just seeming like weirdos and others being left out of the mayhem all together. Specifically though John Furey and Amy Steel are the big standouts, turning two almost regular roles, and playing them with charisma and heart that i loved seeing, come the final act.
This movie also really set the tone moving forward for the large groups of eager counselors, all driven by sex and discovery, only to end up dead by the end. We see much of future installments and games, start here with the style and community present.

My personal favorite of these films so far has been the slow motion machete swing toward the killer in the climax. It fires me up and I feel so much accomplishment when they strike that final (?) blow.

So, while Part 2 followed the first almost beat for beat, even with another jump scare twist at the end, it’s still a super fun slasher film that did well by upping the ante and body count on what we all want out of a sequel.

7.8/10