Director: Ronny Yu
Screenplay: Damian Shannon, Mark Swift
Rating: R for Violence, Profanity, Sex, Nudity, Drugs
Running Time: 95 Minutes
Studio: New Line
Seen At: Harkins Flagstaff 11: Flagstaff, AZ
Near the end of the movie, this girl walked into the theater. For some reason, she got into a loud argument with the girl behind her. I'm used to people talking softly or whispering lightly in movies, but these girls were arguing loudly while the movie was going on! I've never heard people talk that loud while the movie is going on. I think everyone there wanted to kill them.
Highwaymen- A thriller featuring Jim Caviezel, who I liked in Frequency but hasn't been good since. This movie looks like your average thriller, nothing special.
Jeepers Creepers 2- I don't remember a thing about the original, but this one looks like it might pack a few decent scares. But don't expect me to see it.
Scary Movie 3- No Wayans this time around, and it doesn't look like this installment will breathe life into the series. By the way, what are parodies of 8 Mile and The Matrix doing here? They are not scary movies, unless you fear Eminem.
Cold Creek Manor- Perhaps this thriller will be the vehicle that jumpstarts Sharon Stone's career. Then again, maybe not.
Is it worth the wait? You might not think so for the first hour or so. Everyone wants to see the big fight, but it doesn't come until the end of the movie. Patience is a virtue. You have to admit that if Freddy and Jason fought for the whole movie, things would get kind of boring. Thankfully, we have a decent story to keep us entertained before the inevitable showdown.
On Elm Street, Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) is powerless. This is due to the fact that no one remembers who he is anymore, thanks to dream-suppression pills given to those who have any recollection of their dreams. Since no one fears him, he cannot do much of anything. To gain recognition, he calls on the services of one Jason Voorhees (Ken Kirzinger). Sending Jason to Elm Street to kill teens, Freddy hopes that his name will arise and teens will again fear him. And indeed they do, but Jason just doesn't know when to stop killing. When Jason steals one of Freddy's kills, the sweatered man decides to take revenge into his own hands by facing off against the hockey man himself.
You may notice that I didn't mention much about the other characters in the movie. Well, let's face it, no one really cares about them. Oh, there's this heroine named Laurie (Monica Keena) whose father is responsible for the dream suppression in town. Oh, and Freddy killed her mom. Then there's the chick from Destiny's Child (Kelly Rowland) playing a token black girl (spouting things like "y'all this is crazy" and "this is messed up.") Then there's a character inserted later who is a blatant ripoff of Jay from Kevin Smith's films (although he does have the movie's best line, "That goalie was pissed about something.") But these actors are bad enough to make you not care about what happens to them.
The real stars are Freddy and Jason, no doubt about it. Englund is in top form here, enjoying every second of his time as Freddy. I was rooting for him to win (but who does? I won't tell!) Kirzinger is cold and relentless as Jason, although horror purists will be upset that Kane Hodder, who played the man in the last 4 Jason flicks, was snubbed here.
Freddy Vs. Jason represents a time when you can go to the movies just for fun. I love complex characterization, intelligent plots and well-crafted screenplays as much as the next serious moviegoer. It's nice to have a break though and just kick back, and Freddy Vs. Jason is the perfect choice for a good time.