Friday the 13th Part III

Steve Miner
1982

In my haphazard reviewings of Friday the 13th flicks, I've discovered that I've never seen this one before either. Besides the gimmick of being shot in 3-D and the one in which Jason dons his iconic hockey mask, part three has little to offer. The effects and scares are weaker than part four, and while the kids/victims are decently fleshed out, no character development or plot point rises above adequate. While I didn't get to see the picture in 3-D it's pretty clear that the effect is used in the corniest way possible with a handful of inconsequential shots unrelated to the story thrown in, and Jason frequently pointing weapons at the screen. The gas-station biker punks are worth a larf or two, and the setpiece in which Jason is hung from the loft of a barn is a highlight, but overall there's just not that much here to sink your teeth into.