There’s an old song by Crosby, Stills & Nash which sagely urges that “if you can’t be with the one you love, love the one you’re with.” With so many horror films in recent years failing to deliver the sort of thrills that made us genre fans in the first place (Consider the bulk of this year’s theatrical output, if you need proof!), the Schlockfinder General has long labored to heed the advice of those old hippies and try to love even the least lovable of contemporary scare screeners. Of course, some movies are just so awful that they’re destined to be shunned and ignored until they fade from existence. Another old song declares that “you’re nobody until somebody loves you,” and some celluloid stinkers wholly deserve to remain nobodies forever. But often, even the most seemingly indefensible clunker has merits which can be appreciated - and even savored - by an open-minded, fun-loving fright fan. For this reason, I give you THE DEVIL’S ADVOCATE... The second defendant in this court of public opinion? JASON X!
THE DEVIL’S ADVOCATE – JASON X (2002)
When it comes to the critical and financial failure of JASON X, it’s easy to play the blame game. Screenwriter Todd Farmer and director Jim Isaac blame New Line Cinema for not letting them make the film they wanted to make, and for shelving the finished film for two years after its completion. New Line blames Farmer and Isaac for delivering an inferior product, and persons unknown for leaking both the script and the film online during the extended interim between post-production and release. Fans blame the filmmakers and the studio equally – the latter for making the questionable decision to send Jason Voorhees into space in the first place (while the long-awaited FREDDY VS. JASON languished in development hell), and the former for turning in a film that was more comedic than horrific.
Frankly, everyone listed above has a legitimate case.
But the Schlockfinder General has no intention of pointing his bony, calloused finger at anyone in this (or any other) edition of the DEVIL’S ADVOCATE. The fact is that, in spite of its numerous and undeniable flaws, I love JASON X.
For one thing, the film features Kane Hodder giving his best performance as Mrs. Voorhees’ pride and joy since his initial turn in FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VII: THE NEW BLOOD. In Hodder’s first go around behind the mask, he was all rage and fury, and fans welcomed his more animated reanimated Jason with open arms. Unfortunately, lackluster writing in JASON TAKES MANHATTAN and body-hopping inanity in JASON GOES TO HELL prohibited him from further showcasing his rampaging take on the role. Despite the liberties it takes with the character’s physiology in the third act, JASON X restores the Man from Crystal Lake to his full, seething, blood-crazed glory. Nowhere is this more evident than in the film’s opening scene, in which a chained Jason stares a hole right through a frightened guard with his one good eye. Nowhere, except perhaps the scene where he drowns a woman in liquid nitrogen and then can’t resist the temptation to smash her frozen head into a brain slushee.
JASON X is also very funny. Now I know that many horror fans cringe at the idea of comedy in their fear flicks, but some of the greatest fright films of all time have been brimming with uneasy laughs. Would THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, DAWN OF THE DEAD, or EVIL DEAD be the unforgettable classics they are without their twisted sense of humor? Of course, JASON X is neither a classic nor on a par with those films. However, it does treat its absurd premise with a fitting amount of silliness. While some gags fall flat (in particular, the “final” words of Sgt. Brodski as he’s skewered through the back, and the infamous “He just wants his machete back!” line), others are spot on. The sleeping bag callback alone is worth the price of a Netflix rental for a viewer willing to relax and enjoy the show.
Of course, no FRIDAY THE 13TH film would be complete without nubile eye candy, and JASON X has that in spades. There’s blonde Kristi Angus as Adrienne (the blood-sicle), busty Melody Johnson as the useless but delightfully jiggly Kinsa, Lexa Doig as our resident shapely but stalwart homicidal maniac expert Rowan, and Lisa Ryder as the gun-toting, scene-stealing sexbot Kay-Em 14. No, none of these ladies are going to earn themselves an AFI Lifetime Achievement Award with their performances here (or anywhere else, for that matter). But they’re all very pleasant to look at for 90 minutes, and Ryder does have a lot of fun chewing up the scenery.
For me, though, any discussion of the space-babes of JASON X begins and ends with Melyssa Ade, a petite brunette who ably tackles the “bitchy sexpot” slasher film archetype with her hip-swaying, sharp-tongued performance as Janessa. It may be superficial to so willingly forgive a movie’s glaring flaws because of a chick in said movie, but I have to confess - Ade/Janessa has the Schlockfinder General wrapped around her dirty little finger the second she takes off her space helmet for the first time. She flirts, teases, taunts, sashays, seduces, and struts her way through the ridiculous goings-on with such soap opera sex appeal that it’s almost a shame the filmmakers didn’t choose to go against convention and let the bad girl survive in the end. Certainly her “Why don’t you stick your head out and have a peek?” quip is the movie’s best line, and she delivers it with gusto. And while her nipple-twisting, cock-teasing “extra credit” scene might not be as revealing as other salacious moments in FRIDAY THE 13th history, it isn’t likely to be forgotten by any red-blooded male in the audience anytime soon. If JASON X had nothing else going for it at all, Miss Ade would still make it wholly worthy of the DEVIL’S ADVOCATE treatment.
However, the tenth screen outing for Jason Voorhees has more going for it than a sexy Canadian actress in futuristic dominatrix wear. It’s the FRIDAY THE 13th series’ equivalent of a Godzilla movie – an iconic cinematic monster is resurrected in an outlandish and often shamelessly self-referential plot, to wreak havoc on helpless humanity in an orgy of low-budget special effects carnage. It’s cinematic carnival food – a gooey, deep fried concoction comprised of hot babes, cool deaths, corny gags, frozen heads, boiling libidos, and gallons of crimson-colored Karo syrup. Yes, one has to cast away any affinity for logic, realism, or serious horror to appreciate its goofy, gory charms. Honestly, though, how hard is that to do once your mind has had a few seconds to fully absorb the phrase “Jason in space”? Perhaps the blame for this movie’s failure should rest squarely on the shoulders of anyone and everyone who went into it honestly expecting it to be anything other than the ridiculous romp that it is. Whatever the case, I believe it’s time to stop assigning guilt for what’s wrong with JASON X and learn to enjoy what’s right with it.
Sure it may be corny and cheesy...But it was definitly entertaining at the time. And it blows away that shitty Remake....Actually the Remake has to be one of the worst FT13th Movies period.
I would learn to enjoy what's "right" with "Jason X" if it weren't for the fact that they did nothing right, or even remotely watchable in my opinion. First "Halloween Resurrection" and now this steaming pile of shit. I hope this doesn't become a regular segment of the site. Films like these are why franchises need be rebooted in the firat place, then we get fucked up the ass with the reboots 95% of the time. It really sucks being a horror fan these days, so I think I'll build a time machine and go back to the 80's. Peace !
Jason X, I used to love it when I was younger, but now I can't even watch it, I just don't feel the desire too. Halloween:Resurrection was better than JX yet it gets the most bitching.
I'm not one for humor in horror, but I liked Jason X. Hell, I'll be the first to admitt it could have been better. I liked the fact that it was dark & that it was in space. All in all the movie was enjoyable for me & it's still & always will be one of my favorites.
At least it was better than parts 4,5,6,7,8 and 9 (!) C'mon people, it was just stupid gory fun! Can't beat Freddy though. Oh wait, you can if you're Jason!!
Jason X gets a lot of hate but there is a lot of fun to be had with this. It has a very strong first 20 minutes, including a David Cronenberg cameo and decent kills including the sleeping bag homage. I'd rather this than the body hopping JGTH.
BAD is just to kind. I'll use horrorific. How this idea was pitched to a studio and it WORKED is simply unbelievable. Plot, script, story, directing, acting, all complete and utter garbage. I have a great sense of humor and love how someone like Raimi was able to pull it off in the Evil Dead trilogy, but this is a mess EVERYWHERE. I can't even think of a worse plot idea. Think about it, Jason IN SPACE !!!!!! Too bad we didn't get a chance to have Michael, Freddy or Chucky in the cosmos. Pinhead and Leprechaun made it. There's always the SAW franchise. JIGSAW IN SPACE. Man, that sounds awesome. Let the screenplay begin.
Jason X was a great change to the same old tired formula.The movie still had horny pot smoking teens,The typical authority figures,actually some of the coolest kills in the series,and had some funny comedy.I also liked that you got two kinds of Jason in the film.It's funny that people hate this film.It's the tenth movie in the series,What do you expect!The sleeping bag scene alone is worth the watch.Hate all you want I'll watch this over the overrated Saw movies any day.
I love Jason X because it laughed with the franchise, not at it. And for all the joy the reviewer got from Janessa, I assure you us gay folk got just as much joy out of Todd himself. The audio commentary on the DVD humorously pokes fun at the hell the movie went through.
Halloween Ressurection deserves a new circle of hell. It made no sense, suffered not only a wretched script but equally wretched performances, and is a product of "stunt casting." Tyra and Busta? Really??
Jason X is my favorite of the series. I really don't like the movies that much. There boring and predictable. Jason X was great. Cheesy kills and humor. And some great boobs! plus he was rebuilt by nanotechnology! Jason X was way better than the crappy remake they dumped on us. Just my opinion. Heres the thing with the "Devils Advocate" series... somebody will always like what others hate...
It's no wonder this piece of crap sat on the studio shelf for two years. It is, however; a perplexing wonder how this trash got released into theaters.
jason in space is better than that fat fuck william shatner in space. i would rather watch this then any star trek bullshit!!!!!
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When it comes to the critical and financial failure of JASON X, it’s easy to play the blame game. Screenwriter Todd Farmer and director Jim Isaac blame New Line Cinema for not letting them make the film they wanted to make, and for shelving the finished film for two years after its completion. New Line blames Farmer and Isaac for delivering an inferior product, and persons unknown for leaking both the script and the film online during the extended interim between post-production and release. Fans blame the filmmakers and the studio equally – the latter for making the questionable decision to send Jason Voorhees into space in the first place (while the long-awaited FREDDY VS. JASON languished in development hell), and the former for turning in a film that was more comedic than horrific. 
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