Friday the 13th Part II

Dir: Steve Miner

1981

**

Friday the 13th Part II is a direct sequel to the first and although it is essentially a completely different film, it is also exactly the same, minus a really good twist. This is the first time we start to see the Jason Voorhees everyone recognizes although he hasn't yet adopted the famous hockey mask he's known for. It's got it's moments and the fact that the more annoying characters get the better, more gory deaths was appreciated but it never really builds on what was started in the first film. The producers said at the time that this story wasn't so much of a direct sequel, instead, it built on the superstition created in the first film. In this sense, it's actually a remake of the first, much like Evil Dead II touches on events of the first film and then takes it in a different direction. Friday the 13th Part II however, leaves the situation exactly where it began. It's a slasher still and the murderer is someone different but it's no whodunnit and the killings aren't as exciting as the first and Jason's appearances are far too predictable to make you jump out of your seat. The scenes involving severed heads is quality horror but everything else is a little bland and underwhelming.