Jason X, where do I even start? It’s Jason… in Spaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaace! That’s right, the masked machete-wielder takes a cosmic turn in a film that embraces absurdity to such an extent that it almost becomes impervious to critical commentary… almost.
The adventure begins with horror legend David Cronenberg in a career-defining cameo. He’s in charge of a top-secret research facility where Jason Voorhees is housed. Predictably, Jason makes his escape, only to end up cryogenically frozen in a bizarre turn of events.
In a fit of creative lunacy undoubtedly brought about by a coked-up fever dream, the plot sends us to a dystopian future where Earth is a barren wasteland. Our unlikely saviors are a group of space pirates who stumble upon Jason amongst the wreckage. They decide to bring him aboard their spaceship. Hilarity ensues, and the absurdity levels go off the charts.
The filmmakers clearly understand that they’re crafting a ludicrous spectacle. They embrace it with the fervor of true believers. They know it, we know it, and they know that we know it. It’s the perfect storm that renders any criticism moot because “it’s supposed to be stupid!” becomes the unassailable defense to anything and everything.
While the commitment to the absurdity is admirable, the production values are another story. The sets look more like something you’d find on a low-budget TV show, and not in a good way. It’s a hodgepodge of mismatched elements thrown together in haste. Similarly, many of the visual effects have that mid to late 90s look to them, despite films such as The Matrix upping the ante with regards to CGI a few years earlier.
Yet, amidst all the goofiness and generally tacky nature of the project, Kane Hodder, the man behind the hockey mask, is oddly the straight man in this circus. He remains deadpan in his portrayal of Jason, even as chaos erupts around him.
The film takes an outrageously cheesy turn with an upgrade sequence for Jason towards the end. Jason X tiptoes ever so closely to “so bad it’s good” territory. In fact, the sheer commitment to the ludicrousness of it all makes it an unexpectedly enjoyable ride, more so than the two previous entries in the series.
But, if anyone or anything should have been cryogenically frozen, it might be the Friday the 13th franchise itself, allowing it to thaw out in a future with a little more creative inspiration.
My Score! - 52%
Plot and Storyline - 50%
Structure - 55%
Engagement - 51%
Plausibility - 56%
Acting and Performances - 57%
54%
This isn't as bad as a lot of people make it out to be. I like it but strange.
