Freddy has a heart to heart with Jason. Courtesy of imdb.com

Clash of the Frightens
Film Review: Freddy Vs. Jason

By Tommy Tung

"Why won't you die?" Freddy grumbles after playing pinball with Jason's resilient body, which begs a bigger question: "Why won't these franchises die?" Freddy and Jason went the way of the dodo bird in "Freddy's Dead" (1991) and "Jason Goes to Hell" (1993), respectively, but the trip to Hell was only a sabbatical. New Line Cinema plays Lazarus with these two horror film icons in what turns out to be the best guilty pleasure this summer, a campy slasher flick infused with Hong Kong fantasy-action by director Ronny Yu ("The Bride with White Hair").

Freddy enjoys a moment of levity in his boiler room. Courtesy of imdb.com

For audiences who haven't met Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees, the film's opening succinctly recaps each mythology. Freddy was an Elm Street child molester lynched by the neighborhood parents and transformed into a demon who murdered teenagers in their dreams. Jason was a deformed momma's boy who drowned during summer camp at Crystal Lake while negligent teenage counselors were sowing their wild oats. His mother tried her hand at revenge but lost her head. Understandably, Jason was more than miffed and spent his immortal afterlife hacking up future generations of Crystal Lake camp counselors. Freddy's death toll is 30 and rising. Jason's is a whopping 127. Place your bets, everyone.

Lori and Kia are about to unwisely investigate a strange noise. Courtesy of imdb.com

Now, Freddy (Robert Englund) is a forgotten dream, powerless to terrorize not only because the Elm Street teens have been popping dream suppressant pills, but also because they have no knowledge of his infamy. Freddy assumes the form of Mrs. Voorhees in Jason's dream and instructs the hockey-masked madman (Ken Kirzinger) to knock off a few Elm Street kids so that they'll have nightmares again. Unfortunately for Freddy, Jason doesn't know moderation at this all-you-can-kill buffet. His unnerving taciturnity contrasts nicely with Freddy's wisecracking garrulousness.

Mr. and Mrs. Yu promote the title bout. Courtesy of APA

At the center of all the bloodshed, the busty doe-eyed beauty Lori (Monica Keena) hangs onto her virginity to survive. She and her self-absorbed friend Kia (Kelly Rowland of Destiny's Child) resolve to find Freddy's weakness and to uncover the mystery behind her mother's murder. While this plot provides motivation for the heroine to combat the horrific titans, it pales in comparison to the inevitable showdown we're all waiting for.

The grisly murders leading up to the main event are unimaginative for the slasher genre with the noted exception of one backbreaking coup de grâce. During a cornfield rave party (and you thought your nightlife sucked), Jason mows down teens as blood sprinklers turn on full blast. For sure, Ronny Yu was going for more "Itchy and Scratchy" absurdity than the realistic carnage of "28 Days Later." Audience members cracked up at these ultra-violent mishaps along with the overwritten dialogue that no actor could save from ridicule. One can only wonder how ghastly the screenplay was without the rewrite polish by David Goyer ("Blade," "Dark City").

Did you know?
	"Freddy Vs. Jason" had a $25 million budget and opened with a great weekend earning of $36 million. Since August 25, it has grossed $62 million. Jason didn't don his hockey mask until "Friday the 13 Part 3: 3D." Before that he debuted in Part 2 with a burlap sack over his head. Freddy Krueger was named after a childhood bully of "A Nightmare on Elm Street" director Wes Craven. Ronny Yu has directed both father and son, John and Jason Ritter, in "Bride of Chucky" (1998) and "Freddy Vs. Jason" (2003), respectively.

Freddy and Jason engage in two martial arts battles staged by choreographer Chuck Jeffreys ("Spider-Man"). Each fight takes place in Freddy and Jason's respective dwelling with production designer John Willett staining the boiler room a rusty red while leaving Crystal Lake to shiver in wintry blue. The vestige of Ronny Yu's Hong Kong aesthetic bleeds into the kickboxing scenes and the blow-for-blow combat, which brings to mind the bullet-for-bullet face-off between Mark Gor (Chow Yun-Fat) and a hitman nemesis in John Woo's "A Better Tomorrow II." And let's not forget the wire stunt wizardry of Freddy launching himself 20 feet out of Crystal Lake.

"Freddy Vs. Jason" may not be a horror film, in the sense that nothing about it horrifies save for the dialogue, but at least it upholds the promise of a satisfying brawl. The movie never overextends itself and its rather contented attitude permits Ronny Yu to impart all the indelible Asian touches both franchises have never witnessed. Yu's ability to dazzle audiences with magical realism devoid of pretension makes him the most important winner when the credits roll.

freddyvsjason.com

August 29, 2003