Tommy Jarvis (Corey Feldman/John Shepard) is the one that put an end to the infamous Jason Voorhees when he was twelve years old. Years later Friday the 13th: A New Beginning finds Tommy in a halfway house as he struggles to cope with his troubled and blood-filled past. When in the halfway house, a series of murders take place, leading Tommy to believe that what appears might not actually be what is. As he contemplates all possibilities, one idea that continues to circle his head is that Jason is behind all of the insanity taking place. He, along with the rest of the locals, must attempt to solve the mystery of who done it.
I expressed my displeasure with the fact that Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter does not veer far enough from the usual story of Jason and ultimately ends up falling flat as audiences are subjected to the same thing all over again. Director Danny Steinmann attempts to take the Friday the 13th franchise in an entirely new direction by leaving Camp Crystal Lake (and the surrounding area) and heading to the halfway house where Tommy is currently stuck. Friday the 13th: A New Beginning goes where none of the other installments do, and Steinmann (along with writers Martin Kitrosser and David Cohen) manage to separate audiences from what has been taking place for years at the hands of the Voorhees family. While the story remains linear, and the time jump is no more than audiences have seen in previous installments, Steinmann and the writers do a wonderful job of creating a story that, while connected to Jason, feels fresh.
Audiences, in many ways, become complacent with the story of Jason and his wicked ways. There are certainly fans of the franchise that were displeased with the direction that Friday the 13th: A New Beginning takes the franchise. I personally feel that this is exactly what the franchise needed. As Jason’s story progresses, it becomes clear that a change of scenery is not only inevitable, but necessary. While Friday the 13th: A New Beginning is a change of pace and a breath of fresh air, the cast and crew adopt the most intriguing part of the first installment. Mystery plays a role for the first time since the inception of the franchise, and audiences are left in the dark as they attempt to figure out who the killer is. The added thrill of the “who done it” keeps audiences on edge possibly as much as in the first film.
In some ways it seems that Friday the 13th: A New Beginning is sort of progressive. Most people are aware of the stereotype that minorities don’t make it far in horror films, and that oftentimes these characters are used to introduce the antagonist. For the first time in the series, a young, black man--Reggie (Shavar Ross)--breaks the mold of this stereotype and does a wonderful job of taking charge and surviving much longer than expected. While technically none of this matters, it is interesting to see a film of such great stature break and attempt to reshape the mold on said stereotype. Furthermore, Reggie is, by far, the most enjoyable character. Like most ‘80’s horror films, acting is not necessarily the most important part. Audiences have come to expect films like this to have, at the very best, adequate acting, but almost never anything to write home about. Ross, however, brings Reggie to life, and is able to showcase what wonderful talent he had even at a young age. He has the ability to appear so serious, and then, in an instant, turn on the charm and become an energetic, fun-loving individual.
As is the norm with these films, Friday the 13th: A New Beginning ends with some serious ambiguity. Audiences find themselves subjected to an ending that is difficult to decipher, but poses some promise for the future of the franchise. It is possible that Friday the 13th: A New Beginning has the most enjoyable end. All the things that had been building for some time, in one way or another materialize at the end of the film and leaves audiences stunned by what takes place. With the immense lull that is Friday the 13: The Final Chapter, it was important that Steinmann find a way to turn the franchise around. He does just that and helps the franchise regain its footing with Friday the 13th: A New Beginning.
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