Lets begin with Wayne Rowe’s fun review from the film’s first DVD release back in 2001:
“Let it be said that even some of the most diehard Friday the 13th fans don't like this movie. Is this the nadir of an ailing franchise after what should have been the end to the series, the perfectly acceptable Friday The 13th: The Final Chapter? Or just a fun continuation that served up more of the same blood, boobs and screaming teenagers that the fans love? Hey, it's Friday the 13th, not Shakespeare... and you didn't think Jason was really dead, did you?
In an admittedly half-decent attempt to be fresh, Part V harks back to the first installment and tries to be a mystery of sorts - is it really Jason, a disturbed Tommy Jarvis, or someone else doing the killings? (Will the real Jason please stand up?) Since I would hate to spoil the plot, I won't reveal the identity of the evildoer, other than to say that it's a cool idea but too obvious - anyone who can't figure it out the minute he or she walks onscreen has obviously never seen more than three horror movies. With the mystery less-than-mysterious, we're back to the guy in the hockey mask, and the same cliches. But then Friday the 13th itself is a cliche, so why nitpick?
But perhaps what is most fun about Part V is that like Jason and the series itself, it just will not stop. Critics hate these movies, and you gotta love the chutzpah of the filmmakers and Paramount for continuing to ignore the pleas of Siskel & Ebert and continuing to slice and dice hundreds of innocent teenagers film after film after film. A New Beginning offers up the same popcorn shenanigans that worked four times before, so what's not to love? Don't fight it, just accept it. Imposter or not, I just can't ever get bored of a guy in a hockey mask hacking and whacking. Call me crazy, I guess.”
Jim’s thoughts: Geesh, I have not seen this film since on VHS a thousand years ago. But I do remember being bummed out the first time I saw it. Yet watching it again, I suppose the filmmakers deserve some credit for working hard to make this a mystery (weird as it is), deliver a slasher, and assume Jason is, well, kinda-sorta dead.
They also incorporate parts of Friday IV into this film, which many dismiss or ignore. No, we’re not even near the infamous camp, but Part V sets up its own rules and universe and certainly plays by them. But in the end, Crystal Lake beckons.
At the very least, if you’re going to make a fifth, unnecessary sequel to horror schlock, why not do it with some style? Friday Parts I and II frequently had a documentary feel, III captured that deceptively cozy, log cabin retreat feel, and IV was dark and stormy. Friday V often looks like a flat `80s TV show. While the scenes appear well-framed, and Stephen L. Posey’s cinematography and lighting are professional (if careful and bland), most shots are pretty static and can lack energy or impending fear. Actors often look posed.
Use of steadicams and panning lack muscle. Yes, a few scenes’ use of vertigo begin to infuse some start of a film style – and they look great - but they are timid and camera work quickly reverts back to the safety of flat, rigid shots. Perhaps it was a sign of the times, but this film could have used a lot more aggressive camera work instead of the ‘plain Jane’ job by director Danny Steinmann. Or maybe I need to quit griping about such film craft on this already-bastardized film and get myself a lobotomy – Jason (any Jason!) would probably be pleased to oblige.
Moreover, I think DVDFile alum Wayne Rowe was right. The bulk of the film is “the same popcorn shenanigans that worked four times before.” And while the film is bookended with some different rationalizations of the Friday lore, most horror audiences probably didn’t care - especially the moviegoer who wanted his date to grip his hand, or, better yet, jump into his lap.
