If Friday the 13th: Part II was the original on speed, Part III is the slow-witted bastard child with a flair for kitsch. Available on the Deluxe Edition DVD, you'll find the film in its 3-D and normal versions. Sure, with 3-D films currently on the rise today - you might think, ‘Hey, an old horror film in 3-D awesome!' but you'd be wrong. Serious issues arose in the third installment of this classic horror series and the result is a subpar sequel.
For those who choose to take advantage of the Deluxe Edition's included 2 pairs of 3-D glasses - you'll find the film certainly receives an increased and rather nice amount of depth to the scenes. To that effect, the third dimensional enhancement actually serves the feature well. However, that plus quickly loses favor as the two consequences rear their ugly heads.
First, the old school red and blue 3-D glasses are as likely to give you a headache as they are to better your viewing experience. More likely in fact. I had to watch the 3-D version in 20 minute installments because the headache the glasses caused was so debilitating. Second, when the director uses the 3-D to its more kitschy effect - you can't help but roll your eyes. Characters poking poles, pitch forks jabbing and multiple characters holding things out towards the screen is the Director's idea of 3-D put to good use. The poor use of 3-D just doesn't make the headache worthwhile.
Switching over to 2D, the problem with characters breaking from plot to take advantage of the 3-D still seems glaring but at least there's no headache involved. Instead, you can devote your attention to the lousy plot and ridiculous characters. Early on we meet three real bad biker dudes. They terrorize our chubbier prankster character and then, after he takes revenge by driving a car over a motorcycle, follow them to the camp. Herein does the killin' a'start.
Friday the 13th: Part 3 marks the first in the series where our iconic slasher dons the hockey mask. Why? Because Jason gets considerably more screen time here than in any of the others that came before. Instead of spending all that time on the prosthetics and makeup, the director found it easier to cover it up with a mask. Honestly, I don't mind that so much as it gives Jason a better aesthetic and helped establish his visage as a horror legend. The whole road trip plot up to camp and the ensuing biker brawl all make for a laughable sequel.
The part that draws in the fans, the creative kills, doesn't make an appearance. In fact, a kill in Friday the 13th: Part III directly rips off (or if you're feeling generous "pays homage to") one of the more gruesome kills in the original. Friday the 13th: Part III marks a notable disappointment in what had been, up until this installment, a promising series. The ability of a slasher film to take itself with a grain of salt certainly helps it survive through the generations; but in this case it seems to have tilted all the way to self-parody but without being funny - only disappointing.
There's something awfully disappointing about this Deluxe Edition of a horror classic. Normally, I'd begin talking about the special features - but I can't. The disc lacks special features. I realize that having two copies of the film on the disc - 3-D and 2D - might make extra features harder to cram in - but the lack still startles me. Maybe I have a harder time with 3-D than most - I don't but let's just argue that for a second - but a 3-D copy of the movie as the only benefit fails in comparison to all of the cool features found on the Deluxe Edition of Friday the 13th: Part II - Deluxe Edition.
"Friday the 13th: Part III - Deluxe Edition" is on sale February 3, 2009 and is rated R. Horror. Directed by Steve Miner. Written by Martin Kitrosser (screenplay), Ron Kurz (character creator). Starring Dana Kimmell, David Katims, Larry Zerner, Nick Savage, Paul Kratka, Rachel Howard, Richard Brooker, Tracie Savage.
