Fowler's Frights 2015: Freddy vs. Jason

Freddy vs. Jason (2003)
Starring: Robert Englund, Ken Kirzinger, Monica Keena
Directed by: Ronny Yu


At the end of Jason Goes to Hell, the world was treated to the horror teaser of a lifetime. Focusing in on Jason's hockey mask on the ground, Freddy's clawed glove pops out of the ground and drags Jason's mask down to Hell. And then we waited for 10 years while Freddy vs. Jason remained in development Hell. Several scripts and revisions were made. Everyone wanted to be the person to make this film. It's a title that carries some serious weight in the horror community. To be the person who either wrote or directed the film that put Freddy Krueger against Jason Voorhees has to be one of the most daunting tasks in film history. If you succeed, you're looked at as a legend. If you fail, you're considered a joke among the entire community. Needless to say, Freddy vs. Jason is considered to be a fun film because of the two iconic personas, but the screenwriters and director Ronny Yu have been the butt of many jokes and subjected to ridicule over bad filmmaking ever since the film was released. But let's focus on the good aspects of the film, because trust me there are some good qualities. We'll start by talking about the returns of some very old friends.

After the disappointing finale to my Nightmare on Elm Street retrospective last month, I'm so thankful to get another opportunity to review a film featuring Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger. He gets to do his thing, like always, and serves as the puppet master for this film's plot. It's been a long time since he's been relevant in Springwood, so he recruits Jason Voorhees to kill for him so people will be afraid again, thus giving Freddy the power to kill teenagers in their dreams again. It's a very unique concept and you need a charismatic entity to drive that concept forward. Freddy is the guy to do that and Robert is the guy to play him.

Ken Kirzinger plays Jason Voorhees in this film. I know I'm not the only one who wished Kane Hodder would've been the one playing Jason here, but the studios wanted Jason to be a taller, more imposing figure in contrast to Freddy. Still, Kirzinger does a fine enough job, particularly in giving Jason a sympathetic personality. Plus, it goes without saying that Jason clearly gets the bigger body count in this film over Freddy.

I'm sure there's a couple other things I could talk about, but who really cares when you've got two of horror's greatest icons going head to head in a battle for the ages. Freddy vs. Jason may not be a perfect film, but it gives the people what they want. We get to see Freddy and Jason go at it twice. The first time, it's in Freddy's dream world, where he clearly has the advantage. Then, when Freddy is pulled into the real world, it's an even playing field. I also love how both killers have different skills and advantages. Jason has the power and Freddy is more agile. Going into the movie, you're bound to have a favorite, so this is one of those films to watch with a group of friends and place your bets to see which of these slasher legends comes out on top.


Rating: 3 out of 5 stars.

Absolutely. Freddy vs. Jason is one of those films where the flaws do not matter. It's Freddy Krueger vs. Jason Voorhees in a very memorable and gruesome encounter. For casual horror viewers, and especially for fans of either franchise, this film is a definite watch.

Comment below to share your thoughts on the movie or to discuss a topic that I left out of my review

Freddy vs. Jason and movie images are copyrighted by New Line Cinema