Jason X
Slasher violence, gore in unnecessary series sequel.
Jason X
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Jason X is a 2001 horror movie in which the iconic horror movie slasher travels into the future to begin a new round of killing after being cryogenically frozen. Unsurprisingly, there's slasher movie violence throughout. While the machete is Jason's weapon of choice, he also uses a spear, chains, knives, and liquid nitrogen on his victims. He also kills people by impaling them on spikes, and slices characters in half both vertically and horizontally. There are jump scares throughout, and blood and gore. Some gratuitous nudity: While in a virtual reality of Crystal Lake circa 1980, Jason meets two scantily clad women who offer him pot, beer, and "premarital sex" before removing their tops (you can guess their fates). A professor has an inappropriate relationship with a student, who asks him if they can "talk about my midterm" before they're in bed together; she clamps his nipples while he's dressed in a negligee. Profanity throughout, including "f--k" and variations. It's the 10th installment of the Friday the 13th franchise.
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What's the Story?
In JASON X, Jason Voorhees is cryogenically frozen in a containment vault. It's the early years of the 21st century, and the U.S. government has determined that this is the only way to stop him, since he seemingly cannot be killed. However, a government doctor wants to study Jason and learn how his body is able to heal from injuries and wounds that would kill anyone else. This doctor decides to thaw Jason, against the wishes of Rowan, a scientist who believes that keeping Jason frozen is the only way to stop him from killing once again. Nonetheless, Jason is thawed, and soon unleashes a killing spree against the scientists and the soldiers who are supposed to be guarding him. Rowan stops Jason by refreezing him, but a leak in the containment unit freezes her as well. Now, 445 years later, Professor Lowe takes his students to this very spot, where they find Jason and Rowan, and bring them aboard their spaceship, Grendel, as Earth is now uninhabitable. They revive Rowan and begin to study Jason, and Professor Lowe sees the financial boon that could await him if he can get Jason back to Earth 2. Despite Rowan's entreaties to keep Jason frozen, Jason is reanimated, and one by one, the crew, students, and soldiers of the Grendel are mercilessly slaughtered. It's up to Rowan and the survivors to find a way to finally stop Jason once and for all.
Is It Any Good?
It's not a good movie. Literally no one expects Jason X -- the 10th sequel in the Friday the 13th series -- to be good. The premise of this one is too ludicrous to explain, except to say that Jason has made it 400 years into the future, is in outer space, and (spoiler alert) wants to kill everyone around him. While there are some homicides that could be classified as "science fiction," Jason, that Luddite, still prefers his machete to any high-tech methods of killing that exist in the future. In the future, evidently, the horror movie archetypes remain: the skeptical authority figure, the alpha male and the alpha woman, the victims who never should have gone into that dark space basement, and so on and so forth. Some things never change.
Yes, the filmmakers are aware that this is bad, and they embrace it through corny dialogue and self-awareness. Jason entering a virtual reality of Crystal Lake circa 1980, where two scantily clad young women offer him beer, pot, and premarital sex before they are, of course, killed while still in their sleeping bags, holds some entertainment value. Still, this in no way removes the knowledge that the Friday the 13th series is the most shameless of the horror movie franchises.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about sequels like Jason X. This is the 10th movie in the Friday the 13th franchise. Why were so many sequels made? Why are sequels typically so much worse than the original movie?
How does this compare to other horror movies, in terms of violence, sexual content, language?
Is this movie so bad that it's good, or is it just bad? What are some examples of movies that are "so bad, they're good"?
Movie Details
- In theaters: July 24, 2001
- On DVD or streaming: March 16, 2002
- Cast: Kane Hodder, Lexa Doig, David Cronenberg
- Director: Jim Isaac
- Studio: New Line Cinema
- Genre: Horror
- Run time: 92 minutes
- MPAA rating: R
- MPAA explanation: strong horror violence, language and some sexuality
- Last updated: November 16, 2022
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