You learn that in some cases, it may be worth it to never say die, especially if the idea ends up being lucratively beneficial to you. There are always ways to carry on the story, remake it, or both. In 1985, after swearing off the franchise, Both Jarvis (and possibly Jason) returned, only in not the way that you expected, in Friday The 13th Part 5 A New Beginning.

As hinted at in the previous film, killing Jason may have left some scars for Tommy Jarvis, now committed to an institution with other troubled youths. Here at Pinehurst, they have a different approach, though the threat of Jason may still live on. Jarvis may have some unresolved issues involving rage and is slowly trying to adjust to a world without looming danger. Unfortunately, a spate of killings starts popping up, has the ghost of Jason found a way to on? Is Tommy’s presence here the key to the killings, is he the cause, or has Jason returned yet again to carry on his killings?

With the film released just after The Final Chapter, had to complete a time jump to facilitate Jarvis’s fractured psyche, so no more Corey Feldman, now we have John Shepherd. He manages to capture a Jarvis who feels insular and stunted, a shy aloof kid in a grown body, swimming in a sea of alienation and confusion. The fellow teens of Pinehurst do evoke memories of Nancy Thompson’s Dream Warriors, only a lot more troubled, as Tommy will soon discover. A notable exception is Shavar Ross’s Reggie, who has a similar interest in masks and computers and is essentially Jarvis at that age. The staff’s patented approach to the troubled youths is interesting, although watching one violent outburst might leave you to question their effectiveness.

With this, in essence, reboot, the franchise returns to its roots. A peculiar whodunnit, that is unafraid of the gore nor the tactile pulpiness that is a part and parcel of the human condition. The characters have a grittiness to them that helps make them inherently fascinating and memorable. Even though a certain hockey-masked hacker is running loose on the grounds, there might be other people who wish to seek their style of vengeance on the staff. Yes, Jason may behave and look differently (notice the blue streak on the hockey mask and the slightly sleeker physique), but he still knows his way around sharp instruments, if you catch my drift.

Returning to the series’ roots was probably the best move for the franchise to make, as it shrugged off any rumours of retiring. Yes, it feels like that unfamiliarity that the first film has returned. Pinewood is a fresh place for the kills and the new mask on Jason helps to usher a spry energy, as is bringing back an uncertain Jarvis, as the nightmares of before keep following him. It goes to show that good things never say die, evil things doubly so.

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