Friday the 13th - Part 5: A New Beginning (DVD, 2009, Deluxe Edition; Sensormatic)

This installment was for a long time the most hated of the series. Not so much now, but from 1985
all the way up to 1993 this was the most hated by Jason fans. The films is pretty good until the end,
and though I won't say why, I will tell you that it has the highest body count of the Paramount era.
The story, like the previous, does not take place at the camp, rather near the camp. This time the
story centers around Tommy, now grown up being placed in a halfway house for young adults with
a variety of issues. The characters are... annoying, so when they get hacked, it's great. One part did
bother me though, involving a murder, but not done by Jason. You'll see. Anyway the direction is good
but not as good as Zito's work in the previous film, the music is as always great, the acting is good
even for the annoying characters and the atmosphere is great - especially near the end of the film. Now
I recommend this film only to die-hard fans of the franchise, but not to fans of Jason himself. I also do
recommend this one to fans of gore, and those who like to tally up the body count for 80s Slasher films.

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For a number of reasons "A New Beginning" has been the black sheep of the Friday films. I will do my best not to give away too many spoilers in this review, but I don't think there is a lonely corner of the world that exists where you could hide and not be aware of the Friday films and their overall course of events. The problems with "A New Beginning" aren't as evident 20 years after the fact, but at the time I'm sure a sense of being "cheated" was a big cause for upset with fans. The story was darker, more psychological than any Friday film prior and people probably weren't ready for that. I am one of whom appreciated the new style added, treating Jason in many forms like a "ghost". Though perceived as dead and gone in the flesh, his form and the disaster he created still lives on in Tommy Jarvis; sometimes too "alive".

Here we have Tommy alive and not so well in the years following "The Final Chapter". Tommy is grown, appearing in his 20s, and still terribly troubled by the horror he endured as a child. Still haunted; literally. Tommy arrives at a rehabilitation home as he's apparently making progress and ready to enter society again. But naturally, and for stories' sake, the killings start up again. Simple as that. The kills are viscous as ever and oozing originality. There are a surprising number of original characters and the cast is a very capable crowd. Though low budget by even 1985 standards there is a technical prowess and skill displayed. The final scene with Tommy and the "ghost" of Jason is effective, eerie and I am genuinely saddened to see that this route was quickly offed and repulsed by audiences.

It was obvious that Tommy was made to be the culprit. There is no subtlety in hindsight, they were clearly pointing the finger at him and attempting to pass the torch, or machete I should say. "Halloween 4" also tried a similar route some years later, and that idea was later jettisoned as well. If anything it was a sign of the times and a feeling that nothing new was developing in the slasher genre, the filmmaker's attempted something new by trying to do an examination of what these massacres might do to the surviving individual. I see it as a positive attempt at something new, though the response apparently disagreed.

While not the best Friday the wrap it recieved certainly was done in haste. "A New Beginning" is effective as a Friday entry can be and certainly deserved much better than it was given. John Shepherd shined as Tommy and showed much potential to be something great, his style of introverted acting was great. The crew demonstrated a great amount of skill; there are some great shots of Jason that require a sense of artistry to envision so I give that props. The atmosphere is often creepy going back to the psychological tone. The Deluxe Edition has a good amount of features, seeing as how the other version only had a trailer we should be grateful the cover glistens. The "Making Of.." is a rehash of stuff you've seen before, in fact I believe some interviews to be recycled from the box set. Anyhow, it's a decent effort on disc and I can honestly admit I enjoyed this one a whole hell of a lot. I encourage anyone who may have been put off years back to go and give it another shot, view it as a new vision, it might make you see it in a new light.