To say that there was a lot of hype before Freddy vs. Jason is the understatement of the year. It took over a decade for this to happen, but the final epic moment of Jason Goes to Hell was finally going to mean something. I remember reading so much stuff about this movie before it was released, I could not have been any more invested in the movie from its announcement to its release, I just ate everything up!
How to Download Freddy vs. Jason
Freddy vs. Jason was released on August 15, 2003. You can download or stream the film from a digital platform. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice.
The Movie Review
An Era Comes to a Close
Not only is Freddy vs. Jason a movie that was over a decade in the making, but it is also the last of an era. This movie is the last time we get Robert Englund as Freddy due to the franchise being rebooted in 2010. It would be the last Jason movie before 2009’s Friday the 13th would reboot the series too.
A Clever Plot Unfolds
The town of Springwood has finally found a way to deal with Freddy Kruger, they have basically erased him from history! Any news about his killings and the supernatural stuff that has happened over the years has been hidden away. They found the only way to truly defeat Freddy was to make it like he never existed so people would not be scared of him.
As well as erasing him from history. The adults also dope the kids up with a drug called Hypnocil that makes it so they cannot dream! Some kids still have experienced Freddy such as Will and Mark, but they are shipped off to a mental hospital to keep them away from the others and they are forced to have Hypnocil!
Freddy’s Cunning Plan
Freddy has to get creative as he is stuck in hell with no power! Freddy has a cunning idea, he brings back Jason! Freddy pretends to be Pamela Vorhees and tells Jason that he needs to go to Springwood and kill them all! The reason for this is quite clever, people will think that Freddy is back and as the fear spreads, Freddy will get his power back and can start invading dreams and killing the teens of Springwood again.
Turns out that controlling a monstrous being such as Jason is harder than you would think and Freddy starts to get frustrated that Jason is killing everyone before he has a chance. Our group of teens is led by the feisty Lori, who are starting to experience dreams with Freddy as well as all the stuff they are hearing about a killer in the town.
The Teens’ Struggle and Final Thoughts
Will and Mark bust out of their mental hospital to try and warn Lori (whom Will was dating) about Freddy. Look, Freddy vs. Jason is a dumb and fun movie and I have no idea why people have such a problem with it. Granted, Lori is kind of annoying as far as a final girl goes, but I still feel like she gets the job done. There are not many likable characters in the movie, but it kind of makes it more satisfying when they are killed, especially Kelly Rowland’s Kia!
I think the battles we get between Freddy and Jason are fun and the first time I saw it in the theatre I was on the edge of my seat, with my Freddy vs. Jason popcorn box that I still have in my house to this day. I guess that the movie could have been a bit more gruesome, but to be honest, I think that is me being a bit nit-picky.
Over the years I do think that people have come to appreciate Freddy vs. Jason more than when it was first released. It had taken so long for this to come out, that it was near impossible for it to live up to expectations. I though, have always found this to be a super fun movie.
Exciting Trivia and Potential Sequel
Also, out of all of the stuff I have read about Freddy vs. Jason over the years, the thought that we nearly got a final scene that featured Pinhead from Hellraiser setting up a sequel blows my mind. This is a movie that I would love to see get the 4K treatment, especially if they could load it up with a bunch of extras that dive into the production of the movie and the stuff that almost happened. You do not need to be all that familiar with either franchise to have fun with this.
