Title: Jason X
Director: James Isaac
Writer: Todd Farmer
Release Date: April 26th, 2022
Cast: Lexa Doig, Lisa Ryder, Chuck Campbell, Melyssa Ada, Peter Mensah, Kane Hodder (!!!!)
Jason X Cliff’s Notes
After being cryogenically frozen, Jason and a sensible young lady named Rowan are thawed out in 2455. On a space ship. Full of teenagers having sex and a bunch of space marines. Luckily for us, being frozen for four hundred years doesn’t slow the goalie down! Ch-ch-ch Ah-ah-ah follows!
Lecture
After the last two entries in the series, we were due for a break and Jason X, kinda, gives us what we’re after. There’s an element of back to the basics with this sci-fi yarn. We get Jason taking out a bunch of teens in an isolated setting combined with a heck of a lot of fun in the kills section. That, plus a few really groovy bits, is more than enough to lift the series out of the quagmire that was the last two entries.
What really works here is the heart of the Friday the 13th series. The roller coaster structure is back and kicking ass. No more of this start and stop bull that consumed Part VIII or the out of left field nature of JGTH, here we’re treated with a Friday the 13th story that wants to be a part of the franchise. Furthermore, but making a few adjustments, Isaac and crew can milk out a bunch of fun bits while remaining true to their Crystal Lake fans.
Now, that’s not saying that everything on the space ship is rosy. Jason X looks great, mostly in comparison to the most recent chapters in the franchise. The characters here are almost sketches of real people while the folks that are more developed are usually dicks. Jason X also struggles with making the most out of its army of opportunities. Jason spends a lot of time busting down doors in the second half of this puppy. I really wish he was doing it to people, but whatever. Furthermore, am I the only one who wanted more out of Lexa Doig’s final girl? She reminds you of another Sci-fi horror heroine, but without anything to do. Can’t win ‘em all.
Acting
Unfortunately, most of the characters here are paper thin, so there’s not always a lot the cast can do to elevate the work. Doig, Campbell, and Ade do well, though their characters are often unspecific and they struggle with having enough to do. I’m not sure if Ryder is overplaying her part or if it’s just the part she’s playing. Either way, it occasionally brought me out of the flick. The real winner here is Mensah, who rocks his space grunt role with aplomb. I love every scene the guy was in. Hodder’s last ride as Jason is another strong one. He has a real man-out-of-time vibe with this performance. He’s still the best Jason.
Directing
Isaac’s opening sequence is a ton of fun and he keeps a nice pace throughout. There are a few fun visual bits and most of the kill sequences are well done. Sure, he’s a little unsure when we’re not slicing and dicing – more than one scene seems a little shoot-by-numbers – but most of it is forgivable.
Script
So, I know it’s been a couple of parts sense we had a decent script, Part VII is the closest – but we finally have another keeper in the house. Sure, it’s not perfect – some of the characters are so lightly drawn that they almost don’t exist and there are a number of opportunities that are abandoned – but there’s enough here to keep us afloat.
Effects
Very uneven. The space setting is generic and the CGI goes from “OK” to “not-so-much.” On a better note, the gore is on display with this one. There are a ton of creative kills – frozen heads, impalings, a dude split in half- and they look pretty solid.
F5SCU-VD78L-HNZBG-6MRI3-R3W88 Nice work!
Highlights
Crystal Lake virtual reality sequence. The whole thing had me rolling on the floor. Greatness!
Lowlights:
Kinsa and everything she did. What an obnoxious character.
Friday the 13th-iness 
Hit or miss. We get great throwbacks to Crystal Lake and a mucho pissed of Jason taking out the waywards, but the look is very different and even the score seems a little off. Still, a little F13th is better than no F13th, especially because it had been over a decade between this and Part VII.
Final Thoughts
It’s a step in the right direction! Sure, we’re not kicking on all cylinders quite yet, but this is a return to form for the series.
Grade: C+