I consider myself to still be a Friday the 13th neophyte since this is only the fourth I've seen of the twelve(!) movies in the series, but I can definitely say this is the most unique one so far.

It starts off (after the recap, anyway) feeling much more like a Halloween movie than a Jason flick. The scope is expanded a bit as Jason plays cat and mouse with a couple in a way that he really didn't act in the prior movies. Then it starts to feel more like the traditional set-up that I expected, before morphing again into something that felt like it was influenced by The Warriors.

Things eventually settle down and the slashing and dispatching of nubile and annoying characters begin in earnest. Some of the kills are eye-popping (haha!), and it's hard not to not be impressed by a spear gun bullseye (hehe!) from 15 yards away.

I really like how Jason Voorhees is portrayed in this one. He's relentless and frightening but also gets the crap beat out of him a bit, which is a fun mix. He's presented as less of an evil otherworldly force and more a deranged, implacable, but human, killer.

Rambling aside, I was entertained throughout so I consider Friday the 13th Part III to be a slashing success (once it found its footing) and slightly better than even the original movie.

2020 Ranked