Freddy vs. Jason (Ronny Yu, 2003, USA)

Freddy vs. Jason has no aspirations to be great cinema, and this is part of its strength. The Freddy and Jason cross-over film was in development as early as 1987, but because the characters were with different studios, it was problematic. There were many different concepts for the film, and it is easy to see that the film could have gone in many different directions. Hong Kong director Ronny Yu was brought onto the project, a good choice considering his ability to campify and revitalize the Chucky franchise a few years earlier with Bride of Chucky (1998).

Freddy vs. Jason was the biggest budget film in either franchise up until this point (and also the highest-grossing), and it is easy to understand why. That being said, the film is kind of muddled. It is hard to understand what exactly is going on during any given moment, which you would think would not be the case given the subject matter. The film features more Freddy throughout the first half and seems to give him more time as a character (though I did not measure it). The film of course picks up when Freddy and Jason finally fight during the last third of the film. This feels more like pro-wrestling, and there are some inventive moments, like Freddy firing gas canisters at Jason.

Overall, Freddy vs. Jason is a bad movie, but it is fun to watch. Interestingly Kane Hodder was not brought back to be Jason, so we have a new Jason here. The soundtrack is an amazing compilation of 2000s nu-metal, so this will be a highlight for those who grew up hearing Ill Nino's "How Can I live" on the radio. Freddy vs. Jason delivers on the fighting between the two titular characters, and for that, it deserves at least a 6/10.

6/10