Friday the 13th: The Pros and Cons of ‘Jason Goes to Hell’
By Jeremy Dick
via New Line
Con: He’s hardly in the movie at all
When the movie begins, Jason fans are no doubt happy to see our hockey mask wearing psycho back in Camp Crystal Lake. Kane Hodder as Jason chases down a nearly-nude lady intent on putting an end to her life, but suddenly, she reveals she has backup! The woman is not a horny camp counselor at all, but rather an undercover FBI agent!
Falling into an ambush, Jason is completely destroyed by the surrounding agents with their heavy firepower. Merely minutes into the film, and Jason is reduced to pieces. After so many films, it was odd to see Jason taken out so easily and at the beginning of the movie, no less.
This, of course, meant that the plot had to be taken in another direction. So after a mortician eats Jason’s heart, he is possessed by Jason’s spirit. He then transfers that evil from person to person, bringing a “Body Snatchers” gimmick to the Friday the 13th franchise.
But with Jason decimated in the beginning of the film, and not taking his “Jason” form again until the end, it meant Kane Hodder was just barely in the movie at all. I guess that in the end, it wouldn’t have mattered very much whether he was recast. But I’m still very happy that he wasn’t.