Friday the 13th Part 4: The Final Chapter (1984) - Review Blitz

Originally published March 2015.

Final. Hah! Despite what was intended in calling it The Final Chapter, this would not be the last time they would use the word “final” in their subtitle. It also wouldn't be the last time they went back on their word.

Of all the Friday the 13th movies, Friday the 13th Part 4 is probably the most notable/watchable for a number of different reasons. It’s also the film that probably could be considered most responsible for cementing the formula of a slasher film with the various stereotypes because they all seem to make an appearance in this one. If you want to point to the movie that best represents the slasher genre of horror movies and all of its cliches, look no further. It also manages to be the most watchable as it has a brisker pace with a few characters that you can latch onto a little bit as the plot progresses. There’s Corey Feldman’s character who is a little kid with a knack for making masks, as well as Crispin Glover’s super nervous goofball nerd. There’s no real trait to his character beyond the typical archetype of the nerdy guy, but since it’s played rather well by Crispin Glover, you kind of root for the guy.

Paramount Pictures

This movie also marks the return of Tom Savini to the effects department, so the special effects are better than most of the other films in the series, as it has not only his talents but a bigger budget than the first film he worked on. There are still laughably bad moments in the film, but the special effects are usually not responsible.

This was supposed to be the last of the series with the death of Jason at the end. Even though he was already able to survive some extreme wounds in the previous films, he was supposed to be pretty much killed off with this film and possibly replaced by a traumatized Corey Feldman with a twinkle of evil in his eye as the final shot.

Pros

• The scene where Crispin Glover dances is amazing - The picture of him links you to a video where someone used Meshuggah tracks for the scene, which makes his dancing make a little more sense

• The most boobs of any of the films

• The kills are more dynamic and interesting than the previous movies

• The most relatable characters thus far

Cons

• It gets a little confusing at times with all the characters since the body count has increased from Part 3. Plus, the various parties involved are at two different locations, so there’s a lot of going back and forth

• Takes a while to get going

Final Verdict: Friday the 13th Part 4: The Final Chapter

This is probably my favorite of the Friday the 13th movies. It’s still dumb, cheap, and trashy but it kind of hits all the Friday notes and is able to carve itself out among the rest. While most people believe the first movie was the most influential, I tend to believe this one is, simply because of the cliches and references I see in other movies that acknowledge the Friday the 13th franchise. This is the movie that I think set the standard for the rest.