Jason Takes Manhattan marks a new low for the Friday the 13th series with its tepid plot, poor pacing and baffling fantastical elements. The self-referential fun promised by the title is severely lacking, and Jason only reaches New York with thirty minutes to go. This movie's title should have been "Friday the 13th Part VIII: Snooze on a Cruise".

Though the premise of a disaster voyage fixed within the Friday the 13th series creates potential for some nautical-themed kills, the…

It was a wise decision to bring Jason Voorhees back from the dead, as this instalment of the Friday the 13th series is a return to form, successfully integrating new concepts and elements with those that made the series a mainstay in the horror genre throughout the 1980s.

Jason Lives wisely sidesteps the sub-par A New Beginning, in particular the final scene's 'reveal' that Tommy Jarvis would take Jason Voorhees' mantle. This moment was pretty much identical to Jamie Lloyd…

Contrary to its title, the fourth Friday the 13th is not the 'Final Chapter'. If it was, it would be considered a worthwhile series finale that successfully manages to combine the best parts of its previous movies with new and interesting elements to make this the tensest and bloodiest entry to date.

The introduction of the Jarvis family and have them as the focal point of the story was the best thing this movie could have done. For one, they…