It's hard to argue that it is the best of the slasher saga, as its filled with repetitive stalking sequences, dragged down by slow pacing, and possessing some of the dumbest dialogue in any of the 'Friday' movies (and that's saying a lot). But particularly when viewed in its original 3-D dimensions, it's just so much fun - at least if, like I do, you never tire of corny shots of sharp instruments being stuck into the camera.
The plot regurgitates the first two 'Friday' movies, except for a change in locale. With Jason (and his mum) having slaughtered two summer's worth of counselors, finally no one is stupid enough to venture back to Camp Crystal Lake. Instead, with the authorities hot on his trail, Jason high-tails it to the surrounding countryside. After a bloody detour to a local convenience store (where he dons new duds and, apparently, finds time for a haircut and a body-building regime), he gets himself down to Higgins Haven, the summer home of one Chris Higgins (Dana Kimmell). Of course, she doesn't watch the news, so she invites her friends out for a weekend of carefree partying and sex. One by one, Jason picks them off in predictable (if always creative) fashion, only this time, the gimmick is 3-D.
No, there is absolutely nothing new in 'Friday the 13th Part 3' aside from its extra dimension. But what I've always liked about 'Part 3' is the same thing many find fault for in the films - the combination of unknowing teens who are not proactive, combined with a deliberately slow pace. What always bugged me about later 'Friday' flicks (and most slasher films in general) is that they so overtorqued the editing and kills that there was little time for build-up, mood, or stalking. 'Part 3,' however, is so darn slow that all Jason seems to do for most of the first hour of the film is walk around and stare. Director Steve Miner (returning from 'Part 2') swipes even more from John Carpenter's 'Halloween' playbook, and constantly places the hulking, shadowy Jason in the foreground and/or background of shots, as stupid teens wander about, blissfully unaware that they are about to be killed. Unlike later 'Fridays,' where everyone was uber-smart and already knew Jason was out there, allowing the filmmakers to turn the flicks into action movies (see 'Jason X' for a perfect example), here the characters are still largely unaware of what is going on. I find slasher movies much scarier when the threat is unknown and largely unseen - and unexpected - so the old-school approach of 'Part 3' has always worked for me.
'Friday the 13th Part 3' also gives us a new, scarier looking Jason. This is the one that would introduce the world to the now-iconic hockey mask, and as played by former circus performer Richard Brooker (who has a unique slouch and arm movement), there is a creepy, deranged side to Jason in 'Part 3' that is unsettling. Watch how he goes berserk near the film's climax, when he is unable to find the hiding Kimmell in a barn. I like when actors are able to give Jason enough recognisable human dimension to make him more than just a lumbering piece of meat, as well as avoid turning him into a MTV-ready, posing superstar. Brooker does that quite well in 'Part 3'.
None of this, of course, will convince anyone that 'Part 3' is actually a good movie. It's a predictable, exploitative, poorly written, and sometimes even worse acted, slice of '80s slasher camp. Indeed, much of 'Part 3' is now simply hilarious (love that bad-ass biker gang!) Add to that the over-the-top 3-D (which is even goofier in 2-D), and you may spend as much time laughing during 'Part 3' as being scared. Yet, with its deliberate mood, a kick-ass Jason, and legitimately suspenseful third-act chase sequence, 'Part 3' is totally entertaining, quintessentially vintage 'Friday the 13th'.
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