FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VI: JASON LIVES

Several years after the events that occurred at Crystal Lake, Tommy Jarvis, who as a child killed Jason Voorhees, is still tormented by the idea that the monster with the hockey mask is not really dead; so, accompanied by a friend, he goes to the Crystal Lake cemetery to make sure Jason's body is really buried. But a lightning bolt strikes the decomposing body of the killer and brings him back to life. It will be up to Tommy again to stop Jason's murderous rage. The sixth chapter of "Friday the 13th" sees the return of the legendary Jason Voorhees after his absence in the previous episode. A short break that has made him surely more energetic than before, in fact this sixth chapter is the one that consecrates Jason as a true horror movie star, makes him immortal and celebrates him as a true pop icon of the 80s: suffice it to say the opening in 007 style, with Jason at the center of a crosshair, and the beautiful song by Alice Cooper "The man behind the mask" that accompanies the closing credits, dedicated precisely to our hero. However, "Jason Lives" is also the most sparse, sterile and narratively simple chapter of the entire saga: the whole film is just a succession of murders, linked by Tommy's race against time to stop his nemesis Jason. Even the character of Tommy, here in his last appearance, in addition to being played by another actor (Tom Matthews of "Return of the Living Dead"), has lost any psychological depth he had gained between the fourth and fifth films: no emotional turmoil, no character ambiguity, he simply appears as a somewhat obtuse boy troubled by the charms of the blonde, and too bright, daughter of a sheriff. Direction and screenplay (?) are by the anonymous Tom McLoughlin and the makeup effects appear to be well crafted. In short, "Friday the 13th Part 6" is smooth and entertaining, but also the episode that most explicitly demonstrates that this saga is a pure commercial operation intended to squeeze out a successful character like Jason, without even the need for a well-structured plot. Suitable only for the most die-hard fans of the series.