“New York has a new problem” Synopsis: A boatful of graduating high school students headed to Manhattan accidentally pull Jason Voorhees along for the ride.

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Calamity Brains:

Friday the 13th Part VIII is underwhelming. With a name like “Jason Takes Manhattan,” you’d expect, well, some taking of Manhattan. Instead, our masked antagonist doesn’t even reach the island until 3/4 of the way through the movie, and once there racks up a comparatively low kill count.

The bulk of the movie is set on a boat, a fairly novel setting for the series. Though Jason (Kane Hodder) takes an astonishingly long time to pick off the riders, considering the enclosed space, it does make for a nice twist on the usual Friday the 13th storylines. Some of the cast here is fairly colorful as well, particularly Saffron Henderson and Vincent Craig Dupree – which adds to the freshness of the movie.

Unfortunately, with the entire flick so built around Jason in NYC, the boat action never quite captivates as it could. Instead, the audience spends most of the movie waiting for what turns out to be a fairly underwhelming climax. Though there are a few good moments, the movie mostly serves as its own foil, and is best watched with friends and alcohol.

Calamity Brains’ Rating: C
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