Just months after the events of Friday the 13th: A New Beginning, Tommy (Thom Mathews) is still struggling with his mental health due to the events that have taken place over the course of his lifetime. Still convinced that Jason Voorhees (C.J. Graham) is alive, he travels to the resting place of the demented psychopath, with the hope that he can put an end to his twisted delusions. When he and his friend arrive at the grave site, something supernatural is afoot, and Tommy’s worst fears become a reality. Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives finds Jason on the loose again, and Tommy and the locals must find a way to put a permanent end to Jason’s wrath.
For the first time in the Friday the 13th franchise, audiences see a character other than Jason Voorhees make their way through two complete films and secure the starring role in a third. Tommy Jarvis is the character in question, and he has played the most significant role (aside from Jason) in the franchise up to this point. Tommy’s role was somewhat insignificant compared to what audiences may have expected in the previous film, but in Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives finds Tommy truly in a lead role. Finally, Tommy takes the lead role that he should have had in the previous film. He is more than just a vehicle to guide the story, as the story very much revolves around him. This is the best decision that writer-director Tom McLoughlin makes when developing Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives.
Danny Steinmann (writer-director of Friday the 13th: A New Beginning) understood how to move the franchise forward with the previous installment. He, with the help of his writers, managed to progress the story without anything too ridiculous (keeping in mind that it is an ‘80’s horror film). Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives, however, takes the train off the track ,and audiences are subjected to some serious nonsense from beginning to end. The supernatural, thanks to writer-director Tom McLoughlin, takes a hold of the franchise and causes the story to take a swift and unappealing turn for the worse. I believed there was promise for the franchise, and that from here on out, things would continue to impress like the previous installment. It seems that McLoughlin was out of ideas but felt it necessary to build on the franchise. He and Paramount Pictures essentially sell out and take the franchise down a dark and dingy path.
Unfortunately, all expectations for Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives, created by previous installments, are crushed. Tommy’s role helps move the film along, but the story is incapable of staying afloat. The supernatural addition to the film makes this teen slasher more insane than ever before, and audiences struggle to appreciate the sentiment behind the film. One of the driving forces behind the Friday the 13th franchise is the fact that Jason is just like anyone else in the film. He has faced hardships in his life that have driven him to this state, but McLoughlin steals that from the franchise and ultimately ruins what had been built for years.
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