Friday the 13th Part VIII - Jason Takes Manhattan

Rotten Tomatoes

Movie Info

The worst in a string of increasingly pointless sequels to Sean S. Cunningham's crude slasher hit, this installment provided clear evidence that the "slasher" subgenre, already creatively dead, was no longer financially viable. This time around, unstoppable supernatural thug Jason Voorhees -- imprisoned at the bottom of a lake by his telekinetic foe Tina in the previous film -- is reanimated yet again after being goosed by an underwater electrical cable, freeing him to stow away aboard a shipload of standard-issue obnoxious teenagers en route to Manhattan. The title ultimately proves a bit of a cheat, since the majority of Jason's homicidal hijinks take place aboard the ship until the film's final reel, during which he pursues a handful of survivors through the streets of the Big Apple. Thanks to heavy MPAA cuts, the mayhem is more subdued here than in any other films of the series -- splatter fans primed by the previous chapters' copious bloodletting will be left high and dry. Despite a very amusing "teaser" trailer that suggested that the film might be a semi-parody, writer/director Rob Hedden and company play things tediously straight. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi



Best Horror Movies 
ason doesn’t take Manhattan, Jason doesn’t even arrive on the island until deep into the picture’s final act. This one should have been branded Jason Takes a Boat Ride, at least consumers would have been afforded the truth up front.

Release Date: July 28, 1989

Directed By: Rob Hedden

Written By: Rob Hedden

Starring:
Jensen Daggett as Rennie Wickham
Scott Reeves as Sean Robertson
Peter Mark Richman as Charles McCulloch
Vincent Craig Dupree as Julius Gaw

The question of the day: is it too late to celebrate Jason Voorhees and Friday the 13^th? The answer? Of course not! Jason Voorhees has become one of the most dominant forces in the genre over the last 33 years and the title Friday the 13^th is no longer a perceived taboo day, loaded with nasty luck. It’s now synonymous with a hockey mask wearing, machete wielding lunatic and the buckets of blood he so loves to spill. Whether Friday the 13^th, Monday the 16^th or Wednesday the 18^th, it’s never too late to recognize and celebrate the existence of Mr. Voorhees.
Now, while all that sounds mighty uplifting, the real news has to be broken to the masses about Friday the 13^th Part 8: Jason Takes Manhattan. Unfortunately the news is, the film is a major stinker. Arguably the worst film in the history of the series, JTM is inappropriately named, overtly hokey and features a bunch of personalities that – unlike the majority of figures featured in the near-countless Friday films – are not even close to relatable. The focal figures of the film aren’t particularly likeable, and no characters are fleshed out enough to really support. Rennie Wickham, who serves as the picture’s heroine lacks the internal resolve needed to convince the audience that she’s capable of surviving a chance encounter with Voorhees. She’s... airy at times and feels disconnected from the production as a whole. She’s a far cry from Alice Hardy or Ginny Field. Hell, she’s a really, really far cry from those characters, completely lacking presence and, apparently a backbone. The same can be said for hero Sean Robertson, who never feels heroic at all. He’s just along for the ride, nothing more and nothing less.

But Friday the 13^th Part 8’s faults are far greater than those exhibited by this shallow ensemble of personalities, and to the credit of the cast, screenwriter/director Rob Hedden really deserves to carry a hefty load of the blame for that error, as he just doesn’t give these performers anything to work with. It’s Jason on a boat, offing loads of kids immediately. There’s no real story here and no buildup whatsoever. Even worse, Jason doesn’t take Manhattan, Jason doesn’t even arrive on the island until deep into the picture’s final act. This one should have been branded Jason Takes a Boat Ride, at least consumers would have been afforded the truth up front.

The gore featured in the flick is serviceable, but it pales terribly in comparison to the work of Tom Savini or Carl Fullerton. We’re not treated to all too many graphic shots and the prosthetics are on the laughable side. However, I will applaud this makeup crew for making Jason look a bit more decayed and gruesome than what we’re typically accustomed to.

As a longtime fan of the Friday the 13^th series, it’s a little painful to watch the story spiral out of control in such fashion. By the time this eighth film arrived the mission of the monster had been well established. We all know that Jason Voorhees chops up teenagers in a bid to claim unending revenge for the death of his mother. But how does this group fit into the equation? They’re not hanging out at Camp Crystal Lake, they’re not directly connected in any way to Jason’s past, so where’s the motivation? Jason Takes Manhattan is one of the most brainless efforts to feature that dreaded hockey mask, and outside of a highly entertaining boxing match with Julius (a character who actually emerges as the lone memorable victim in the film thanks to the fact that Vincent Craig Dupree actually brought some style to the production) the film is just a dud. It’s fun to squeeze into a marathon, but there aren’t many other reasons to bother with Friday the 13^th Part 8: Jason Takes Manhattan.

Full Movie on PutLocker