Common Sense Media Review
By Kat Halstead
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Slasher sequel changes setting; violence, drugs, language.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan
What's the Story?
In FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VIII: JASON TAKES MANHATTAN, teachers Colleen (Barbara Bingham) and Charles (Peter Mark Richman) oversee a group of graduating teens onboard a boat to Manhattan -- including Charles' niece Rennie (Jensen Daggett), who is haunted by strange visions. As the waters get stormy, and the bodies pile up, they realize they have a stowaway onboard in the form of Jason Voorhees (Kane Hodder), who has returned again from his watery grave. Can they make it to Manhattan alive and is there any guarantee of safety even then?
Is It Any Good?
A departure not just in location, but from the slasher franchise's usual style, this eighth chapter injects some 1980s music and cityscapes, but very little in the way of innovation or enjoyment. Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan really doesn't deliver on its promise. For a start, the characters don't even make it to Manhattan until more than an hour into the film and Jason doesn't exactly "take" it when he arrives -- things get pretty tiresome pretty fast in the city that never sleeps. It's a franchise that's hit some roadblocks in the past, but here it really feels like it's lost its way. Missed opportunities flash all around, and though there are a couple of attempts at visual humor, it doesn't offer the self-awareness of part VI that might have made sense of the rest. Halloween has Haddonfield, A Nightmare on Elm Street has Springwood, and Friday the 13th has Crystal Lake. Take the franchise out of its home and you'd better have something special in mind, because otherwise, as in this case, the voyage quickly becomes doomed.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the level of violence in Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan. Have you seen any other movies from the franchise? How did the violence compare? Does exposure to violent media desensitize kids to violence?
How was drinking, smoking, and drug use depicted in the movie? Were they glamorized? Did the characters need to do these things? What were the consequences?
Talk about some of the language used. Did it seem necessary or excessive? What did it contribute to the movie?
How did the film portray sex? Parents, talk to your teens about your own values regarding sex and relationships.
This isn't the first time Jason Voorhees has come back from the dead. How does it affect how you feel about him being defeated at the end of a film to know he's been reanimated so many times in the past?
Movie Details
- In theaters : July 28, 1989
- On DVD or streaming : September 3, 2002
- Cast : Jensen Daggett , Kane Hodder , Peter Mark Richman , Barbara Bingham
- Director : Rob Hedden
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Paramount Pictures
- Genre : Horror
- Run time : 100 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : February 5, 2024
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate