DVD Corner

Jason X 4K UHD Review

“Jason X” is a nice change of pace for the horror franchise. 

Scripted by Todd Farmer, “Jason X” is the tenth installment in the “Friday The 13th” franchise. The story begins in 2010 where Jason Voorhees is being held at the Crystal Lake Research facility. Scientist Rowan is expected to put him in a cryogenic chamber, but a Doctor and soldiers have other plans to study his regenerative abilities. Of course, Jason escapes, but Rowan manages to lure him to the cryogenic chamber where both Jason and she are frozen. Cut to the year 2455 where a Professor and a group of students discover Rowan and Jason on Earth. The two are transported to the ship Grendel which also houses a military force led by Sgt. Brodski. With advanced technology, Rowan is revived, but Jason also thaws out and begins to wreak havoc on board Grendel. Will anyone make it out alive? 

Directed by Jim Isaac, 2001’s “Jason X” (which was actually released in the U.S. in 2002) was dismissed by some fans and critics. Sure, Jason in space is a ridiculous premise, but the film never takes itself seriously and is actually quite comedic. There’s a plethora of one-liners, humor, sex gags, the memorable holographic camp sequence, and eccentric characters (like the scene stealing Boyd Banks as Louis). The lack of anything resembling scares is a bit of a bummer, but the combined efforts of Farmer and Isaac create a downright fun slasher that plays like a cross between “Aliens” and “Star Trek: The Next Generation.” In an age with so much serious elevated horror, there’s something refreshing about revisiting this now 24 year old slasher. They really don’t make movies like this anymore. 

There’s so many entertaining little moments sprinkled throughout as well such as the David Cronenberg cameo, the old school model work, the KM-14 android (superbly played by Lisa Ryder), Harry Manfredini’s score, the cast of sci-fi TV veterans (such as Lexa Doig, Lisa Ryder, and Chuck Campbell), and the frozen face kill (which has gone on to become one of the best death scenes in horror history). “Jason X” is also notable for being Kane Hodder’s final performance as Jason (and Uber Jason).

“Jason X” may be cheesy and not on the same level as the Paramount era of “Friday The 13th,” but it’s hard not to get swept up into the world of this tongue-in-cheek sci-fi slasher.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 1.85:1 2160p. How does it look? This is a stellar transfer that is a step up from past releases. It’s a very subtle transfer that isn’t flashy, but the picture quality improvements are very notable (especially for fans).

Audio Track: 5.1 DTS-HD MA. How does it sound? Viewers can expect a 5.1 track that really packs a punch. 

Extras:
* An intro by Kane Hodder
* 3 commentary tracks. One by film historian Michael Felsher and Steve Barton, one by screenwriter Todd Farmer and author Peter Bracke and the third by Jim Isaac, Todd Farmer and Noel Cunningham,
* 3 trailers and 8 TV spots
* Stills gallery and posters and behind-the-scenes gallery
* Electronic press kit
* Nearly 52 minutes of cast and crew interviews. Discussions range from Uber Jason to the franchise.
* 57 minutes of raw behind-the-scenes footage
* “Scoring The Stars”- An interview with film composer Harry Manfredini.
* “In Space No One Can Hear You Scream”- An interview with screenwriter Todd Farmer.
* “Outta Space: The Making Of Jason X”- A making of documentary featuring cast and crew interviews. The 2nd making of documentary here is titled “By Any Means Necessary: The Making Of Jason X”.
* “Kristi Is A Headbanger”- An interview with actress Kristi Angus.
* “Jason Rebooted”- Producer Sean S. Cunningham talks about “Jason X” and “Jason Goes To Hell.”
* “The Many Lives Of Jason Voorhees”- A documentary on the character of Jason Voorhees.

May 15, 2025 - Posted by nicklyons1 | 4K UHD Review | Friday the 13th, Jason Voorhees, Jason X 4K UHD Review, Kane Hodder, Sci-fi, Slasher