Jason X

***Like "Alien" but with Jason and a sense of humor*** Released in 2001, "Jason X" starts in the year 2010 where the government decides to finally stop Jason by putting him into frozen stasis. He and another person are revived in the year 2455 by a professor and his students who are on a field trip from Earth Two to Earth One. Jason is unleashed on their spaceship and havoc ensues. This entry is like 1979's "Alien" except with Jason as the monster and a sense of humor. You'll also notice that it's a great departure for the series putting Jason in space in the future. Most Friday fans look down on 1993's "Jason Goes to Hell" and "Jason X" because the producers tried something new. It's obvious that they felt the series had become stale and formulaic with an incredible eight-installment run from 1980-1989. I felt "Jason Goes to Hell" had a refreshing concept (ripped off from 1987's "The Hidden") and a great intro & opening act, but the tone was distasteful and the flick eventually spiraled out of control with its cartoony quasi-horror gobbledygook; still, it featured a couple of the best women in the series (Agent Marcus and Deborah), which should be commended. I heard negative comments about "Jason X" over the years, but the first half is sci-fi at its best with some amusing elements thrown in for good measure. It’s stunning how well the filmmakers handle the sci-fi aspects of the plot and F/X. The second half, unfortunately, becomes too cartoonish as Jason systematically annihilates most of the crew, particularly when he gets his new futuristic look, basically morphing into SuperJason (rolling my eyes). As usual, this installment features an impressive assortment of women, but it's only Kinsa (Melody Johnson) that I find appealing, except for the cameo of the campfire teen #1 at the end, played by the stunning Mika Ward. They should have included her in the main cast. To be expected in light of the spaceship plot, the film was shot mostly on sets (in Toronto) with a couple of outside sequences in Ontario. The film runs 91 minutes. GRADE: B-