Friday the 13th: Part VI - Jason Lives (stylized onscreen as Jason Lives - Friday the 13th: Part VI) is a 1986 American slasher film written and directed by Tom McLoughlin, and starring Thom Mathews, Jennifer Cooke, David Kagen, and C.J. Graham. It is the sixth installment in the Friday the 13th film series and the last one to feature Tommy Jarvis (Mathews) as the protagonist.
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_theatrical_poster.jpg) "If you think it's hard to keep a good man down... try keeping down a bad one!"
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Plot
Years ago, Tommy Jarvis (Thom Mathews) killed the infamous hockey mask-wearing serial killer Jason Voorhees (C.J. Graham), and the intensity of the experience has landed him in a mental institution. To end his torment and achieve a sense of closure, Tommy escapes from the hospital and heads to the graveyard where Jason is buried, intending to dig up the body and cremate it. But, before this total annihilation can occur, a freak electrical accident revives Jason from the dead, and the terror begins anew.
Why It Lives
- The film is an improvement from Part V - A New Beginning.
- Jason Voorhees is back and more terrifying than before.
- Tommy Jarvis is once again a great protagonist.
- Megan Garris is a decent love interest.
- Very memorable side characters, especially Martin the Gravedigger.
- There are still a few creepy moments.
- The kills and gore effects are very well-executed.
- Harry Manfredini's musical score is great once again.
- Its writing is pretty well done.
- The opening and climax are very gripping and intense.
- Pretty good acting.
- For the most part, the humor is very well-timed and funny.
- The atmosphere is still pretty eerie and well done.
- The fun factor is pretty high.
Bad Qualities
- Sheriff Garris is pretty unlikeable, though he does redeem himself before Jason kills him.
- A few jokes don't work.
- There are a few moments that drag.
Reception
Friday the 13th: Part VI - Jason Lives was the first installment in the series to receive some positive reception from critics since the original. In the years since its release, its self-referential humor and numerous instances of breaking the fourth wall have been praised for prefiguring Kevin Williamson's Scream series. Jason Lives is considered a fan-favorite of the series, in addition to receiving positive notice from horror film historians. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, Friday the 13th: Part VI - Jason Lives holds a 50% approval rating based on 28 reviews, with an average rating of 5.02/10. The consensus reads: "Friday the 13th: Part VI - Jason Lives indeed brings back ol' Voorhees, along with a sense of serviceable braindead fun".