Friday the 13th, Part VI: Jason Lives

The murderous Jason is back in the latest chapter of the most offensive series in film history, unless Burt Reynolds makes three more Smokey and the Bandit pictures real quick.

While there's a superficial been-there-done-that, why don't-we-just-mock-the-whole-thing quality to this entry in the series, it certainly livens up what has become by this point a stale franchise.

Of note: Electricity will figure prominently in just about every Friday the 13th entry from this point onward.

'Friday the 13th: VI Jason Lives' is one of the better sequels in a very uneven franchise. It has energy, a style, and the potential to actually be scary. It also has one of the most menacing versions of Jason more often.

It makes for a much more enjoyable ride for many, though some may miss the reliable presence of the more grisly violent details and nudity of previous franchise outings.

Don't expect a complete franchise overhaul: this is still the same Friday the 13th you know and love (or hate), but writer/director Tom McLoughlin's tongue-in-cheek approach to the material injects some much-needed energy into the slasher series.

This clever early meta slasher still features too many Red Shirt characters, which takes away screen time from its far more interesting counsellors. Megan is a solid Final Girl that the film undercuts in its last act. At least Tommy and Jason are hot?

An OK entry in the series, with some welcome humor and a bravura finale.

A definite improvement over the fourth and fifth installments...

Although the first four sequels had their own brand of tongue-in-cheek horror, Part VI marked the first step into overt campiness of the series.