Friday the 13th Part VIII - Jason Takes Manhattan

Rating:
Summary: I prefer the title "Jason Takes the Love Boat"
Review: Not the best in the series, but Jason in a new setting! An unwelcome stowaway on the graduation trip to New York, he starts in killing the teens one at a time. The best part of the movie is when they actually get to New York, which is about the last 30 minutes of the movie. Humorous to see my favorite killer chasing teens through subway tunnels and well lit streets and NO ONE SEEMS TO NOTICE! But most of the movie takes place on the boat. Fast forward to when Jason really takes Manhattan! If you don't, Jason will come for you! Tonight!

Rating:
Summary: Jason takes Canada, er, I mean New York
Review: Episode #8 finds Jason reanimated once again and stowed away on a boat full of celebrating teens. The lead actress is haunted with visions of Jason as a drowning child. Jason picks the teens off one by one and after killing the ship's captain, the survivors drift into New York...or the Canadian equivilent. To be fair, their is one scene shot in New York apparently. The survivors are predictably pared down to two (the lead actress and "lead" actor), who Jason relentlessly pursues in New York, until he is inexplicably killed by a rush of water and transformed back into his firightened youth...or something. Who knows?
By this point in the series something drastic was needed to keep it afloat. Instead of slightly varying the formula early on, the producers tried radically altering it with later installments, a bit too late.
This film contains a few humerous scenes: an athletic young man punches Jason over and over until he has no energy remianing. Jason then punches the guys head off. Another good scene finds Jason threatened by the street punks in New York. He simply removes his mask, his frightening face sending them running in fear!
Jason's face has been tweaked again, as well, now white and skull-ish, not as frightening or as cool as VII's face.
By changing the location of the killings, part VIII merely looks like any other slasher film. The lake was one of the few things that kept the series seperate from others, though at the same time the location change actually helped the picture. From what I'm told, this entry had a slightly larger budget, but I couldn't tell.

Rating:
Summary: Bad Movie
Review: I think we all knew this series was starting to run dry
before this movie was released. However, in my opinion
this is the second worst in the series going only ahead
of the dreaded Jason X. This movie has so many flaws. The
sub title says "Jason Takes Manhattan" but almost all of
the action takes place on the boat. Jason proceeds to hop
aboard the boat after desposing two "teens" and reaks havoc
to young punk rock stars, nerds, ho teens and such.

The most dumb part is that Jason seemingly teleports all
over the place. He has the ability to just dissappear
and reappear right ahead of somebody without it really
being even slightly believeable. Then, Jason proceeds to
go through downtown NY killing so few people. I thought
Jason basically just liked to kill whomever got in his
way. Not in this movie! He proceeds to chase the re-
maining two survivors passing several people and acting
as if they aren't there.

There was a few good things about this movie. A few
slightly original killings and some slight humor and
the action does get better once they hit NY. But to
me the boat drug the movie down and it just stayed
in that setting for far too long. I appearciate that
they tried to take the movie in a slightly different
direction. But it was an attempt that overall simply
failed.

Rating:
Summary: Friday The 13th Part 8: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989)
Review: If you thought that Friday The 13th Part 7: The New Blood was the last, than you are most sadly mistaken. Because in 1989, director Rob Hedden, had given us fans, Friday The 13th Part 8: Jason Takes Manhattan, the eighth installment to this terrifying and chilling Friday The 13th franchise.

Starting off in Camp Crystal Lake on a party yacht, Jim Miller (played by Todd Shaffer) and Suzi Donaldson (played by Tiffany Paulsen) are having a little sexual escapade. Jim goes to throw the anchor over and comes back inside, where he reveals that they are now stopped over where Jason Voorhees had first drowned back in the summer of 1957. He then tells the story of how Jason had drowned, where his mother, Pamela Voorhees, had tried to kill off every counselor. As he tells the story to Suzi, the anchor catches onto a power line, where a seemingly demised Jason lies under a broken dock. The anchor causes the power line to release a few bolts of electricity, sending it into Jason's body. Jim hears a noise outside and goes to investigate. Suzi waits patiently, but becomes impatient. She goes to the front of the boat, where Jim appears, wearing Jason's hockey mask. He laughs and the two regain their sexual escapade, until Jason (again played by Kane Hodder) appears in the bedroom. Suzi runs off as Jim is murdered. Jason finds Suzi and kills her off.

The next morning, the students of Crystal Lake High are boarding the Lazarus for a senior class cruise to New York City. Approaching is the students' English teacher, Colleen Van Deusen (played by Barbara Bingham). Riding with her is the beautiful, Rennie Wickham (played by Jensen Daggett). In the back, is Rennie's dog, Toby. Rennie is very close to Colleen, since Rennie's parents died in car wreck, when Rennie was six years old. They exit the car and aboard the ship, where Charles McCulloch (played by Peter Mark Richman) discusses with Colleen of how she made a mistake in bringing Rennie. Charles is actually Rennie's uncle, making him her mother's brother. Not only is Charles the uncle of Rennie, he is also her legal guardian.

The ship takes off with the students. Some of the students include Miles Wolfe (played by Gordon Currie), Wayne Webber (played by Mark Cummins), J.J. Jarrett (played by Saffron Henderson), Julius Gaw (played by V.C. Dupree), Eva Watanabe (played by Kelly Hu), Tamara Mason (played by Sharlene Martin), who is the b*itch of the whole bunch, and Sean Robertson (played by Scott Reeves). As they head off, Rennie and Sean have a friendly conversation. It is obvious that the two are more than attracted to each other. Charles approaches and sends Sean to his father, who is the captain of the ship. He talks to Rennie about her being there. She decides to stay, with Charles' okay.

As the day goes on, J.J., a heavy-metal female rocker, is killed off. That night, gal pals Eva and Tamara go around, snorting a little coke, and having some fun. Because she hates Rennie, she knocks her off the ship. Rennie is terrified of water. Sean rescues her, as Kelly disses Tamara for pulling that stunt. As Tamara takes a shower, she is than knocked off, followed by Wayne, Miles, Sean's father, the driver of the ship, a deckhand, and Eva. Julius, Sean, Rennie, Charles, and Colleen, along with Rennie's dog, lower a lifeboat and set out to New York, hoping to rid themselves of Jason. They make it to New York, where they are surprised by two Gang Bangers. They take Rennie to rape her, but Jason kills them both. Jason catches up to Julius and kills him off. Sean finds Rennie and they meet up with Colleen and Charles. They find a cop, who vows to take them to safety. But inside the cop's car is Julius' decapitated head. Jason appears and kills the cop, forcing Rennie to take the wheel and ram Jason with the car. She keeps seeing apparitions of Jason as a young boy. She sees the apparition again and tries to ram it, but the car ends up destroyed. Charles, Sean, and Rennie make it out of the car, but before Colleen can escape, the car explodes. Rennie approaches a large puddle on the ground and begins to remember why she continues to see apparitions of Jason as a child, as well as being terrified of the water. As a little girl, around eight years of age, Charles had pushed Rennie into the lake, teaching her how to swim, which is where she saw the first apparition of Jason. Sean and Rennie ditch Charles, where Jason finds him and kills him.

Sean and Rennie run all over New York until they climb down into the sewers of New York. As a sanitation worker helps them find a way out, Jason appears and kills the sanitation worker. Sean was knocked out into an unconscious state, sort of leaving Rennie alone. Her only defense is by throwing a bucket of toxic waste on Jason's mask, causing Jason to take off his mask and revealing a face that is practically skeletal and zombie-like. She helps Sean awake and run. They have to be quick about this, since midnight is approaching, where the sewer rinses out with the day's toxic waste. They find a ladder and begin climbing out of the sewer, but Jason appears behind them and tries pulling Rennie down, but the toxic waste arrives and burns Jason to death.

We fans enjoyed this film to the fullest extent, but were sort of disappointed in the fact that the first hour takes place on the ship, where the last 35 minutes take place in New York. But this is one scary sequel. So cancel your camping plans, because Jason isn't through with Crystal Lake yet. But also, cancel your plans to New York, because Jason has planned to paint the city red.

Rating:
Summary: Decent
Review: Do you remember the original 4 Friday the 13th movies? They each had a new plot, with no background music, acceptable suspense for the time period, and a Jason that could the directors could actually use. Don't get me wrong; Kane Hodder is THE BEST except for the fact that the new director doesn't know how to use him. He is shown with music that is out of its culture, and because of that, as well as the bright color in the scenes, Jason isn't scary.

Adding to the movie's bad scenes are the beginning and the time when they're on the boat, which is for way too long, judging from the fact that the title states that Jason goes to Manhattan, which is so poorly illustrated as the star setting. I also think the transition from Crystal Lake (which didn't even seem like it was the camp) to New York's gangs, subways and such are just dumb.

Go ahead and watch it, but be prepared for disappointments following the killing scenes.

Rating:
Summary: Not as bad as some say....but not really good either
Review: As a huge "Friday the 13th" fan I can enjoy all of the movies in the series at various times.....yes...even part 5!! I hadn't seen part 8 in quite a few years so I popped it in and was pleasantly surprised. Sure there are some continuity and storyline errors...(since when does Crystal Lake meet up with the Atlantic Ocean??!!) but I think this is a pretty neat little movie. After trying to induce a comedic element to the films in parts 6 & 7, part 8 once again just features Jason at his menacing, slashing best without a lot of the comedy filler. The cramped "cruise" ship is a pretty eerie setting, and it's a nice change from the usual patch of woods and cabins featured in the first seven movies. Kane Hodder is perfect as the hulking slasher still out for revenge after all those years. The visuals of Jason stalking the streets of New York is kind of cool too. I think the biggest downfall to this film is the odd, and unsatifying ending.....but if you are a fan of the series, you will enjoy this entry. I don't recommend you buy the single dvd though as Paramount has put out a box set containing this film as well as the first 7 movies in the series. For around $50 you can get all 8 movies plus some pretty cool extras.

Rating:
Summary: Tied between the 5th one as the worst Friday Film Yet!
Review: Don't watch it!It looks like the budget was $0.10!Don't buy it!

Rating:
Summary: The best Friday the 13th film yet.
Review: After all those years of stalking Camp Crystal Lake, Jason Voorhees finally abandons the area and is washed downstream, finishes up on a cruise ship bound for New York. One of the graduates on the cruiser is, incidentally, still being haunted by memories of being attacked by a young Jason as a child, and there are some genuinely creepy moments involving visions and recollecteions.
Though Jason only arrives in the Big Apple in the last 15 minutes or so, the scenes on the ship are good, the time spent on the ship and in New York breathing new life and new ideas into the series. In fact, I'd say there isn't a dull moment during this film.

Rating:
Summary: Fairly Weak but Entertaining
Review: Just to let anyone who plans on watching this movie only the last half hour is in Manhattan and since this was in the late 80's be excpected to be suprised when you watch it. I thought the movie made no sense at all considering Jason walked from the middle of the ocean straight into New York and then he was killed by a teenage girl and some toxic waste. Jason's face is also never the same looking when you see him without his mask on. I found the characters entertaining even though as always the acting is pretty bad. I like the Jason movies where he's not at Crystal Lake because they start to get boring but having him on the boat was a good idea. If you decide to watch this movie think to yourself if you want to watch a movie where nothing makes sense and the acting is terrible but I hope you decide to because it's not as bad as it seems.

Rating:
Summary: Decent, and highly underrated!
Review: THE STORY: Two teens in a loveboat set the anchor to make love. But the achor scrapes on a giant cable, witch is next to the defeated Jason. He gets revived, kills the teens, and boards a boat heading to New York.

MY THOUHTS: Although a bit cheesy, this is one of the better Friday flicks. Some nice gore, cool kills, and the fact that Jason goes to NY makes this work watching.

SIDE NOTE: **SPOILERS**

A lot of people are wondering how the hell toxic waste could turn Jason into a little boy again. Well, it didn't. The boy was another of Rennie's hallucinations. Jason washed out to sea, along with his slightly melted mask.