After the post-modern
post-mortem of Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (1994) and the outer space
rejuvenation of Jason X (2001), we now have the celebrity death
match of the new millennium! It’s hard to believe that the characters
of Jason Voorhees and Freddy Kruger have been around since the early
1980s, and this long awaited confrontation seems like an acknowledgement
and celebration of this fact. The Friday 13th series stuck
to the template that was laid down by the hugely successful horror/slasher
flick Halloween in 1978, but when Wes Craven directed A Nightmare
on Elm Street in 1984, he shook up these familiar thrills by introducing
us to Freddy Kruger (Robert Englund), a wise cracking prankster that wasn’t
confined to the real world or bound by the laws of physics. Don’t
worry if you’re unfamiliar with either of these long running franchises
as the back-story of both these iconic figures is laid out clearly for
any newcomers.
As soon as the film begins
(with the musical themes of both series’ competing over the introductory
New Line Cinema logo), we’re thrust into the action. Freddy is stuck
in hell, yearning to escape so that he can continue his murderous spree.
Unfortunately for him, he is weakened because the inhabitants of Springfield
(where Freddy went on his previous killing sprees) have managed to remove
all record and any mention of him, effectively erasing him from existence.
However, Freddy has a plan to claw his way back into the dreams of the
teenagers from Springfield. He revives Jason and tricks him into
killing the teens that live on Elm Street. The residents of Springfield
think that Freddy has returned, which threatens to give Freddy enough power
to kill again. But Freddy’s plan backfires when Jason starts to kill
the teenagers that Freddy wants to kill! There’s only one way to
settle this, and so a fight to the death between Freddy and Jason begins,
with the unfortunate teens caught in the crossfire.
This kind of cross over
between different characters’ universes has already been done before in
comic books and movies, a classic example from the horror film genre being
Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943). Ronny Yu previously
revitalised a well-known horror series with Bride of Chucky (1998),
and seems like the ideal director to resurrect Freddy and Jason for a 21st
century audience. Although Yu gives fans of both these series’ the
requisite over the top murders and elaborate set pieces that they’ve come
to expect from the genre, the film is essentially just an extended punch
up between two horror icons. This may satisfy some people, but do
we honestly care about the fate of these two killers, when we should be
more concerned about the teens that are slaughtered during the film?
Freddy and Jason are undeniably interesting characters (as their longevity
demonstrates) but at the end of the day, can we really root for characters
who are murderous antagonists? (I’m sure many people will yell ‘Yes!’)
A film like the upcoming Alien Vs Predator (2004) is also eagerly
awaited, but may be equally problematic; after all, how do you make a confrontation
between two antagonists - and in this instance, two creatures who don’t
talk - into an interesting film?
In Freddy Vs Jason,
this problem is half solved by Englund’s return as Freddy. After
an absence from the screen of nearly ten years, Englund has a blast in
the role that made him a movie icon. Unlike the virtually somnambulant
stalkers like Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees, Freddy has always been
the joker in the horror icon pack, an impish figure who, like Hannibal
Lector, gleefully despatches his victims with a well-chosen witticism.
Also, thanks to his command over the dream world, Freddy can warp the visions
in people’s minds and appear to his victims in surreal guises (as a giant
shadow in the middle of a street, a horny camp counsellor at Crystal Lake,
or even Jason’s mother). In fact, Englund appears to be enjoying
himself too much. A common complaint about Freddy is that the character
has been watered down over the years, becoming a clownish figure and a
caricature of his former horrifying self, which is certainly the case here.
Although he’s a memorable presence in the film, Freddy is more Court Jester
than killer, a mugging comedy partner to Jason’s straight man.
As Jason, Ken Kirzinger
doesn’t have any lines, but his sheer physical presence (like those who
have played the role before him), ensures that he’s an imposing figure
on screen. In fact, although he doesn’t have the showier role, Jason
comes off better than Freddy here, a much more believable (well, almost!)
and sympathetic figure. The best part of the film is when Freddy
digs into the mind of a weakened Jason and invades his traumatic memories,
a genuinely unsettling moment in a film that’s chiefly played for laughs.
The rest of the cast does what it can in the supporting roles, with Kelly
Rowland perhaps coming off best of all as one of the Springfield teens.
However, none of the teenagers is as strong Neve Campbell’s lead character
from the Scream series, who was essential to those films.
Interestingly, the film closely resembles the first Scream (1996)
movie, with certain moments almost quoted verbatim from that film (the
heroine questioned at the police station, the town curfew, the party in
the middle of nowhere). Of course, Scream referenced both
the early Freddy and Jason movies, so I suppose it’s only fitting that
this repeats motifs from the recent spate of post-modern movies that first
referenced them. Where Freddy and Jason go from here is anyone’s
guess, but I’ll be surprised if they don’t return in some form, be it in
separate films, or back together again, locked in combat with each other
again. Until the next round then…
Martyn
Bamber