Friday the 13th, Part V: A New Beginning . Weekly Alibi . 10-27-97

Friday the 13th, Part V: A New Beginning

DIRECTED BY: Danny Steinmann

REVIEWED: 10-27-97

This less-than-satisfying installment in the F13 series opens with a couple of morons digging up Jason's grave (remember, our loveable slasher was "killed" at the end of part IV) while little Tommy Jarvis (played once again by Corey Feldman) stares on in horror. Not surprisingly, Jason leaps from his grave and slaughters said morons, then turns his attention toward Tommy--but oh-ho! It's all a dream, and we find Tommy is now grown up and on his way to the local woodland mental institute, thanks to the traumatic experience of burying a machete in Jason's face. At the funny farm, we meet the most unpleasant bunch of characters to pollute the screen in an F13 yet: the Cheesy Blonde Assistant Director of the Institute; the Sullen New-Wave Girl; the Macho Nutcase; the Chocolate-Smeared, Affection-Starved Fat Guy; The Shy-Yet-Horny Stutterer; the Sex-Crazed Teens In Love; and the "Likeable Little Kid." Fortunately for us, the Macho Guy axe-murders the Fat Guy, and the next morning, the Director of the Institute delivers this touching eulogy to the gathered loons: "I know this is hard for all of you ... so let's just have breakfast." Soon, a couple of '50s J.D.-types who have nothing to do with the movie we're watching are hacked up, and the carnage gets rolling. The Sex-Crazed Teens run into the woods for a little forest fornication, and we're treated to what may be the biggest boobs ever to appear in a Friday flick--and strangely enough, we soon see what may be the tiniest boobs, as well. In fact, the gratuitous nudity is about the only thing this installment really delivers on--we even get gratuitous wet-blouse action and the single most gratuitous boob shot I've ever seen. Other, lesser highlights include the obligatory Cat-Scare; the Cheesy Blonde defending herself with a chainsaw; the seldom-seen Bunny-Scare; Tommy doing a Jean-Claude Van Damme on Jason; and the Likeable Little Kid attacking Jason with a front-end loader. While quite stinky, F13 Pt. V is not as hideous as Pt. III, and is definitely worth renting for the scene where the Sullen New-Wave Girl does a goofy robot dance. (Paramount)

--Scott Phillips

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