On a $5 million budget, Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan grossed $14 million, making it a disappointment. Due to declining box office numbers, Paramount decided to sell the franchise rights to New Line Cinema. Sean Cunningham, who left the series after directing the original, came back to produce the first installment under New Line. Cunningham hired first-time filmmaker Adam Marcus to helm the project due to his love of the franchise. Marcus hired Jay Huguely to write the screenplay, but Cunningham, who was dissatisfied, brought in Dean Lorey to rewrite it. Despite giving the greenlight, New Line executive Michael De Luca hired Leslie Boam for further rewrites. Filming started in July 1992, though Cunningham reshot half the film after disagreeing with Marcus’ vision. After numerous reshoots and reedits, Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday hit theaters in August 1993.
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Synopsis
Jason Voorhees (Kane Hodder) chases a woman through the woods, only to be led into a trap. FBI SWAT members destroy Jason, and his remains are taken to the morgue, seemingly ending his reign of terror. However, demonic voices persuade the coroner (Richard Gant) to eat Jason’s heart, allowing his soul to possess him. As Jason continues his bloody rampage, local bounty hunter Creighton Duke (Steven Williams) is tracking him down. He tries recruiting a waitress named Diana Kimble (Erin Gray), claiming she’s the only one who can stop Jason. Unfortunately, Jason kills her, and her murder is pinned on her daughter’s ex, Steven Freeman (John D. LeMay). In prison, Duke tells Steven that Diana was Jason’s half-sister, and only her daughter, Jessica (Kari Keegan), can defeat him. Will Jason’s reign of terror continue anew, or will this be where Jason Goes to Hell?
Review
Perhaps more than any other film in the franchise, Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday divided the fanbase. People either love this movie and consider it among the best, or they wish death on Adam Marcus. I’m in the middle; for me, it doesn’t top The Final Chapter or Jason Lives, but it has its moments. Before I get into my issues with the film, I want to highlight what worked for me. For starters, the opening sequence is a fun spoof of the series tropes, and seeing Jason get decimated is entertaining. Steven Williams steals the show as badass bounty hunter Creighton Duke, delivering some great lines with a suave charm. John D. LeMay does a great job as the unlikely hero who rises up to the occasion. Also, this film has some great gore, including wrist snapping, a girl cut in half, and a jaw caved in.
While I applaud Adam Marcus’s attempts to add mythology to the series, I think it’s largely unnecessary. Does Jason being a deadite from The Evil Dead really add anything new that makes him scarier? Why does a relative of Jason’s have to be the one to bring him down finally? Also, having Jason’s essence be manifested as a parasite that infects people makes no sense. It feels like Adam Marcus tried to apply logic to the series to appease fans who were obsessed with continuity. The franchise never had the most consistent continuity, but these weren’t meant to be anything more than just fun slashers. Plus, the “Goes to Hell” monikor is only partially true since Jason goes to hell, but not until the end. Granted, this movie was only supposed to set up Freddy vs. Jason, but that wouldn’t happen for another 10 years.
However, as much as I complain about the nonsensical plot, it’s so bonkers that I enjoy it. So much new stuff is needlessly added in that it becomes more hilarious than infuriating after a while. Also, it’s a shame that Jason appears so little here because his look in this movie is among his best. Another positive I can give this movie is that the humor is, for the most part, on point. From the tabloid news station to the diner taking advantage of Jason’s demise, it’s entertainingly dark humor. At only slightly under 90 minutes, the movie moves at a decent pace, so it never feels like it’s dragging. While I don’t think Adam Marcus deserves all the hate he’s received, he may have tried too hard here. Overall, Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday certainly tries, but it doesn’t quite stick the landing.
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Where to watch Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993)
