Directed by James Isaac
Starring Kane Hodder, Lexa Doig, David Cronenberg, Jonathan Potts, Lisa Ryder, Boyd Banks, Todd Farmer, Dov Tiefenbach, Philip Williams, Dylan Bierk, Chuck Campbell, Kristi Angus
Much like the previous entry, Jason Goes to Hell, I had avoided watching Jason X because well . . . it’s Jason X, and it was in space. I mean, that is worse than jumping the shark. Anytime when someone runs out of ideas for a series, inevitably someone will say “how about we set it in space?” and then here we are. But also like the previous film, when you have reached a certain number in your series, you do have to think outside the box when it comes to original plot ideas. The beauty of this entry is that while they did do something different by setting it in space, I feel they also retained the essence of what made a good Friday the 13th entry and put it in a whole new setting.
After a good friend and fellow film fan mentioned to me that I really should give this one a chance after he heard I never bothered with it, I decided to get it out of the way, and yet again discovered that I had a lot of fun with it.
The film starts off at a government science facility where lead scientist Rowan (Lexa Doig) is planning to cryogenically freeze the infamous Jason Voorhees, because they know they just cannot seem to kill him. So that would be the next logical step to avoid any future murders. Of course, like all good plans, the government steps in and decides they could use his genetic makeup for other types of research. The leader of this new team is Dr. Wimmer, played by the one and only David Cronenberg. Yeap, that’s right, the David Cronenberg. His only catch to being in the film is if he would be killed by Jason. Wonders never cease. But of course, during the “transfer” Jason escapes, kills everyone around except Rowan, who leads him into the cryogenic chamber, hoping to catch him in there to freeze him. She does, but in the fight, she gets stabbed and is trapped inside, both getting frozen.
Jump ahead a few centuries later, and during what basically is a school field trip to the old planet Earth, they stumble across both Rowan and Jason, frozen solid, but still with vital life signs. Both bodies are taken back onboard their spaceship and soon bring Rowan back to life. When she finds out that the body of Jason is onboard as well, she is a little freaked out, trying to explain who he is. Of course, he is soon revitalized, and we start the killing spree all over again.
The only difference between Jason X and any of the previous films is that this is set on a spaceship. But the stalking, wandering around the ship’s different decks, searching for this hidden killer, is all the same. Just updated. The team of military grunts onboard have more serious firepower but end up the same. And just like the previous entries, the kills are unique, interesting, and sometimes a real hoot. Such as the one science lab technician who has her face pushed into a vat of liquid nitrogen, where we get to see her face go from a scream to being frozen, all-in front of the camera. Then to top it off, Jason smashes her face on the table which makes it shatter like it was glass. We even get a virtual reality trip to a summer camp, of course with a couple of gratuitous topless campers! The kills here are unique, gory, and a lot of fun, which is why I found it so enjoyable.
Just when they think they have beaten Jason, he gets an upgrade, thanks to the help of the ship’s medical nanobots that make him bigger and stronger, and with a fresh look for the future!
Ever since Jason Goes to Hell, the producers knew they wanted to do the film combining Jason and Freddy from the Nightmare on Elm Street series but were going through constant creative rewrites, new ideas, and new people involved, that it always seemed to be in a continuous “working on” status and never getting made. So, Jason X was thrown together to get another entry in the series out in the meantime. Director Jim Isaac had done The Horror Show in 1989 and was excited to tackle this new Friday project. The problem is that even once the film got made, finishing in April of 2000, the current head of production at New Line, Michael De Luca, who was always behind and supporting the new entry, was asked to resign. So, the new people in charge could care less about any productions that was being done before them, especially a Friday the 13th film. So, it sat there. When it finally got released in 2001, with little fanfare, it did not do well at the box office. But like a lot of films, when it hits video, it blew up and became a huge money-maker for the studio.
And now, we have a brand-new release on Blu-ray, in 4K no less, and it looks incredible. Now a lot of fans out there, who had already purchased the last Blu-ray release, are asking why do they need another release? Well, first of all, it is in 4K, so at 2160 resolution, it will never look better than it does here. Secondly, there might be a lot out there that never bought the Blu-ray and now realize that now is the time for that upgrade from DVD.
But there is another reason that fans need to understand. When these titles get an upgrade, it is another chance of finding a new audience or showing their original audience that the film is still a worthy entry in the series. But most importantly, these films, especially with the bonus features, are archiving the work from the people involved, so they can remain in the public eye, long after they are gone. Case in point, director Jim Isaac, who sadly passed away in 2012 at the young age of fifty-two. One of the archival commentaries on this disc is with him, screenwriter and actor Todd Farmer, and producer Noel Cunningham, so we get keep the stories alive from someone that is no longer with us. But here, while listening to it, hearing the heartache they went through, why things were done, they continue to live on and are able to discuss their work. As film fans, this stuff is especially important to keep alive.
Besides that commentary, there is another archival one with Farmer and Bracke by themselves. Then there is a brand new one with Michael Felsher and Steve Barton. Again, there is a lot of information and trivia here for fans to learn more about the making of the film, which then in turns helps you see different things, or see things in a different way.
As well as a new introduction by Kane Hodder, there is also a new interview with Harry Manfredini, and a few more archival featurettes, such as Outta Space: The Making of Jason X, featuring interviews with producer Noel Cunningham, Sean Cunningham, Kane Hodder, and Farmer, one called By Any Means Necessary: the Making of Jason X, archival interviews with Hodder, Kristi Angus, and Sean Cunningham, and more. There is also The Many Lives of Jason Voorhees, an older documentary on the history of the character. Throw in some behind-the-scenes footages, trailers and TV spots, poster galleries, it just makes one hell of an edition to any horror fan’s collection. And if you’re a Friday the 13th fan, then why are you even debating about it?
And if you are still one of those out there that scoffs at even the thought of watching Jason X, let alone buying it, trust me. Take the chance. I think you’ll find yourself enjoying it more than you realize.
