I hoped that after the first Friday the 13^th there’d be nowhere for the series to go but up. I was terrified of being proven wrong by Part 2. Fortunately, I was proved right as this sequel is quite the improvement, which is saying something. Not a lot but something.

5 years following the murders at Crystal Lake, a group of trainee counsellors move into a cabin not far from the infamous campsite. After a few days, members of the group begin to disappear. The remaining members fear that their friends may’ve been taken by the deformed ghostly killer Jason Voorhees. As their number continues to fall, the survivors fight to discover the truth (Spoilers; yes it’s Jason).

What I Was Expecting

I’ve seen a lot clips from the Friday the 13^th films over the years, mostly from James Rolfe’s cover of the series in his Monster Madness show, so going into Part 2 I knew a few things.

I knew Jason was in it with a sack on his head. I knew it had pretty much the same setting as the first one. I was expecting the first film’s premise done in a slightly different way. I was expecting another cast of youths to get slaughtered, just by Jason Voorhees this time, a landmark in the series.

I just hoped it would be more entertaining than the first one.

What I Got

I’m happy to say that what I got was slightly more than I expected. Part 2 indeed plays out the same premise but with a few differences and surprises.

The opening recaps the first film and kills off its only survivor, which while I didn’t expect, having seen the Maniac Cop and Nightmare On Elm Street series, I wasn’t really surprised by it.

We get some clarification on the backstory of Jason, which I thought was a bit rushed and shoddily done in the first one. In Part 2 we hear it uninterrupted and in a corny but affective way.

The cast of characters are a bit more diverse and distinct. There’s the comic relief, the leader and a lot of young couples. One of them, Mark, is a wheelchair bound former athlete. While he’s determined to walk again, his disability makes him a black sheep in the crowd. However, that doesn’t stop him from forming a relationship with one of the counsellors. He’s an engaging watch.

Jason is kept mostly in the shadows for the majority of the film, which was a surprise for me. All of his murders are depicted from his point of view until near the end when we get a full look at him. An odd choice I thought.

The makeup effects are a lot better. They may lack the realism of Midsommar’s gore but they’re convincing for the most part and rarely fail to impress and disgust.

The twist at the end legitimately took me off guard, not in any profound way but it was a great surprise.

It has its talky bits, you won’t remember the characters’ names, it’s no way near a great horror film but it’s decent fun. If James Rolfe’s reviews are accurate and this series does get bloodier and sillier as it goes on, then I think I’m in for a good Halloween.

I give Friday the 13^th Part 2 a decently corny 3 out of 10.

Speaking of 3s…