Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning

Director - Danny Steinmann (Savage Streets, The Unseen)

Starring - John Shepherd (Friday the 13th: The Series, Quantum Leap), Shavar Ross (Family Matters, Growing Pains), and Tiffany Helm (In the Tall Grass, Freddy's Nightmares)

Release Date - 1985

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "If Jason still haunts you...you're not alone"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection)

Rating (out of 5):

     When people think of the Friday the 13th series the fifth installment, A New Beginning, often gets criticized by fans.  It's very similar to Halloween III: Season of the Witch and how fans hate it even though it is arguably the best in the series.  I'm tip toeing around the why these two are similar because I'm trying not to deliver a huge spoiler that can make or break this film depending on how you look at it.  Regardless, this film is hated and it's for a ridiculous reason.  I actually enjoy this installment even though it's doesn't bring anything new to the series.  

     The film follows a teenage Tommy Jarvis (Shepherd) who is now part of a state run home for other orphans and delinquents.  He is suffering nightmares from his encounter with Jason which as crippled his life.  The others in the home with him give him a hard time but one of the young men, Victor, struggles with his anger and kills another resident.  This sparks a chain of murders resembling Jason even though he is dead.  Tommy and the others fight to survive before uncovering who really is behind the deaths.  

     Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning doesn't offer up anything new for the Jason mythology but it is a fun slasher that feels very much like a Friday the 13th film.  Up until this point we were given something additional that stuck with the franchise in each previous film.  However, Friday the 13th Part V just existed.  The twist does turn horror fans off but I appreciate what they did with it at the time.  The acting in this one is probably my favorite in the film.  Honestly, John Shepherd as Tommy Jarvis is the low point of the film.  Feldman was perfect as Tommy in child form but young adult Tommy is a bit of a messy character that isn't very likable at all.  Shepherd is very underwhelming in his performance.  Now, with that aside, the rest of the cast is probably my favorite of all the films in the series.  I love all the characters in this film and I feel that this is, hands down, the best acted film in the franchise.  The performances feel very genuine and the supporting cast brought a lot to the table.  The story for this one is a Friday the 13th film.  We follow a killer who was wronged as he kills anyone and everyone that gets in his way.  The kills in the woods and how the people die also are perfect for a Friday the 13th films.  However, who is doing the killing is what turns most fans off to this film.  Finally, the deaths in this one are classic Friday the 13th style and they all rightfully deserve their own place among slasher history.  Some has a little humor tossed in but all are very slasher inspired and brutal.  The practical effects are solid and work very well for the kills.  Overall, A New Beginning is deserving of the Friday the 13th name and those that don't give it a chance are really missing out on this fantastic installment.  I highly suggest checking this one out.