Friday the 13th

Producer Michael Bay joins forces with director Marcus Nispel, yet again, to reboot another iconic slasher film character with a slick and respectable remake of Friday the 13th. Nispel, working for Bay’s Platinum Dunes, did a so-so job of remaking The Texas Chainsaw Massacre in 2003, but he fares much better with his take on Jason Voorhees, the woeful drowned boy with mommy issues from Camp Crystal Lake. One of the reasons this remake feels more successful is that the original film on which it’s based sucked ass, and there was much room for improvement. I’ve always liked the premise for the Friday the 13th franchise, but have never been a big fan of its execution by the filmmakers. (I did like Freddy vs. Jason, but that was almost a satire of the two series.) This time out, the scares are plentiful, the movie looks good, and Jason has a little more personality.