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Freddy vs Jason

2003
Dir. Ronny Yu

With the memory of Freddy Krueger suppressed and vanquished from the youth of Springwood – rendering him powerless and incapable of claiming any more victims - the dream-dwelling killer resurrects the brutish Crystal Lake marauder Jason Voorhees and manipulates him into going to Springwood to carve up a few teens and strike fear and chaos into the community.

As the bodies pile up, talk of Krueger once again haunts the suburban homes of Springwood, gradually increasing the dream demon’s powers. He soon realises however, that Jason’s bloodlust can never be quenched, and once the hockey-masked maniac starts killing, there’s just no stopping him. There’s eventually a big show down between the pair and some unfortunate teens get stuck in the middle of it all…

I reviewed Freddy vs. Jason a couple of years ago when I trekked through the Friday the 13th franchise. After re-watching it recently, I concluded that my opinions hadn’t really changed. You can read my review here. In short, it's a lacklustre though still highly enjoyable romp that perfectly encapsulates how far both film series’ have come since their initial instalments back in the early 80s. Friday the 13th began as a cheap and cheerful backwoods shocker boasting a murderous matriarch, while A Nightmare on Elm Street, took the form of a seminal, genuinely nasty and terrifying fright flick that exploited primal fears and featured a bogeyman who killed teenagers in their dreams. Many years, and sequels later, and both are now box office blockbusters that seem as at home in your local family multiplex as slush-puppy machines and popcorn.
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