Fowler's Frights 2015: Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan

Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989)
Starring: Kane Hodder, Jensen Daggett, Scott Reeves
Directed by: Rob Hedden


Ok, we've reached the point of no return for taking Jason Voorhees as a serious slasher villain. His next three films will take him to some of the strangest locations imaginable for a horror franchise. He's purely for laughs at this point and the studios knew that. Why else would they advertise a film where he actually goes to New York? Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan could have had an immense amount of potential for some hilarious scenes with Jason. He could've visited the Empire State Building, Madison Square Garden, Central Park, you name it. Unfortunately, the budget could not afford them to film in New York for very long, so they mainly got a few scenes in Times Square, while filming the rest of the scenes in Canada. So, let me get this straight. The film is about Jason going to New York, but he's barely in New York. In fact, most of the film is set on a boat. Why didn't they just call it Jason on a Boat? But I digress, let's go ahead and climb aboard what many consider to be the worst film in the original series. This is Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan.

At this point, we just watch Jason Voorhees for the laughs. Seriously, I crack up every time I see him in this movie. You see Jason climb aboard a boat, kill people with guitars, kill people with rocks, shows up in the funniest of places, kicks boomboxes, and even saves the day by attacking a couple of muggers. He's a walking punchline at this point. Kane Hodder is still the man when he plays Jason but I seriously wish he could've played Jason in better films. He saves every moment of bad acting and horrible dialogue that exists in this film.

We get about an hour of this film where Jason is supposed to be in New York on a boat traveling to New York. I like quirky Jason shenanigans like the next demented horror fan, but this was asking for a lot. Don't call your movie Jason Takes Manhattan if he's barely in Manhattan. That's some serious false advertising. Would it have been better had they made the title actually fit the scenario? Probably not. I can't imagine a lot of people showing up to see Jason Out to Sea or something. But still, all shame should be pointed at the marketing campaign for leading viewers astray.

By the time they actually get to New York, it's a squandered opportunity. Sure, it's nice to see Jason running around Times Square, but that's all you actually see of Jason in New York. Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan could have been something silly, but also really memorable had they committed to the joke fully. Instead, we have a very lackluster film that drags and drags with little to no proper payoff. Although, as a fun bonus, check out all the product placement you can see in Times Square at the time. From Coca Cola to Kodak to Tim Burton's Batman. To think, a film like this came out the same year as that masterpiece. Talk about a contrast in quality.


Rating: 1 out of 5 stars.

The longest entry in the series thus far, Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan is quite possibly the worst of the series. I mean, it's REALLY bad. They don't even spend a lot of time in New York. If you want to see Jason on a boat, this is the film for you. If you're like everyone else who actually wanted to see Jason take Manhattan, avoid getting disappointed and skip this film.

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

Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan and movie images are copyrighted by Paramount Pictures