Friday the 13th Part III (1982)
★★½ — Friday the 13th Part III (1982)
Steve Miner returned for his second consecutive entry in the franchise (having directed Part 2 the previous year), making Friday the 13th Part III the most immediate follow-up in the series and something of a rushed production, shot largely on location in California doubling as the New Jersey woods. The film's headline gimmick was its 3D presentation, released during a brief early-1980s revival of the format that studios were experimenting with as a box office draw. It was here that Jason Voorhees first donned the hockey mask that would define the character for decades. Richard Brooker was the third actor to play Jason in as many films. The $2.3 million budget returned nearly $37 million at the domestic box office, cementing the franchise as one of Paramount's more reliable, if critically scorned, earners of the period.
Friday the 13th Part III (1982) is a textbook example of early-80s slasher assembly-line filmmaking, more kills, more gore, and Jason Voorhees now fully suited up in his iconic hockey mask. It’s solidly made for what it is: a grimy, low-budget horror flick with decent practical effects and a few genuinely creepy moments, especially in the foggy opening sequence at Higgins Haven. The kills are creative (hello, spear through the wall), and the 3D gimmick was clearly designed to shock audiences in theaters with flying objects and pop-out stunts. But at home the 3D adds nothing but awkward depth and blurry visuals, it just looks silly now, like a dated party trick. And while Jason is finally iconic in appearance, he doesn’t feel unstoppable here. He gets knocked around, outmaneuvered, and even seems hesitant at times. This isn’t the unstoppable force of later entries; he’s still being figured out, which weakens his menace. The characters are forgettable, the story nonexistent, and the pacing drags between kills. It’s not bad by slasher standards, just average. A middle chapter that coasts on formula without bringing anything new to the table. Watchable for fans who love the franchise’s grindhouse charm, but otherwise, just another stop on the kill count. Jason’s look may be legendary, but the film around him? Just… fine.
Rating: ★★½ | Year: 1982 | Watched: 2025-09-29
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More from Steve Miner: Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)
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