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Rating
Synopsis
To celebrate their graduation, the senior class of Lakeview High School set sail aboard the SS Lazarus for New York. Chaperoning the trip are teachers Dr. Charles McCulloch (Peter Mark Richman) and Colleen Van Deusen (Barbara Bingham). Against Charles’ wishes, Colleen brings along his niece, Rennie Wickham (Jensen Daggett), to help her conquer her aquaphobia. Unfortunately, a newly resurrected Jason Voorhees (Kane Hodder) stows away on the ship just as they take off. It’s not long until Jason starts picking off the students one by one using glass shards, a guitar, and strangulation. Jason’s rampage starts a fire, forcing Charles, Colleen, and Rennie, alongside Sean (Scott Reeves) and Julius (V.C. Dupree), to escape. They manage to reach New York City, only for Jason to catch up with them and give chase. With our heroes running for their lives and Jason on the loose, New York has a new problem.
Review
Just on concept alone, Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan should’ve been good. Rob Hedden even envisioned scenes at Madison Square Garden, the Empire State Building, the Brooklyn Bridge, and more. Sadly, Paramount’s tight purse strings wouldn’t allow his vision to become real, hence why “New York” looks like Vancouver. Granted, that’s just one of many issues with the movie, but it’s one I can’t entirely blame on the director. To his credit, Hedden does agree that more scenes should’ve been in New York instead of on a ship. Additionally, for a first-time director, he executes some decent shots, such as a “decapi-cam” camera and low-angle shots. Plus, there are some humorous touches, such as Jason running into street punks and the ironic nature of the kills. Examples include stabbing a cokehead with broken glass, bludgeoning a rocker with a guitar, and punching a boxer’s head off.
Though not the strongest of the series’ female leads, Jensen Daggett does a decent job here. While the frumpy clothes aren’t doing her any favors, she at least brings a strong and vulnerable performance. Peter Mark Richman makes for a compelling antagonist, committing reprehensible acts while believing he’s acting in his niece’s best interest. Once again, Kane Hodder delivers as Jason and proves why he’s the best actor to don the hockey mask. He gives the slasher an imposing presence that towers over everyone, and his heavy breathing makes him scarier. Sharlene Martin is fun as the preppy cokehead, but she isn’t as entertaining as Susan Jennifer Sullivan in Part VII. It’s cool to see Kelly Hu years before she appeared in X2: X-Men United and The Scorpion King. Unfortunately, the rest of the cast isn’t anything to write home about in terms of performances.
There isn’t much else to discuss, as this movie doesn’t bring anything new to the table aside from its setting. Even then, it doesn’t fully deliver since the first hour takes place on a cruise ship before arriving in NYC. Even if the alley scenes are filmed in Canada, the filmmakers strive to depict them like they’re in New York. That said, seeing Jason stomping through Times Square and hassling street punks is a series highlight. Another noteworthy aspect is the music, both the score and songs like “The Darkest Side of the Night” by Metropolis. Fred Mollin’s score is on par with Harry Manfredini’s work, and the songs are fun to listen to. As easy as it is to call this the worst one, it’s clear that the filmmakers tried, which is commendable. Overall, Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan is sadly a low point.
Buy Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan from Amazon: https://amzn.to/4kC3plE.
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