Nowadays any horror flick that makes more than 27 cents at the box office engenders an endless supply of sequels. That was the case back in the early Eighties, when “slasher” movies remained in their infancy. 1978’s Halloween became a substantial hit and produced imitators, but the trend for sequels hadn’t quite started yet. Heck, we wouldn’t see Halloween II until 1981, three years after the release of the first movie.

The Friday the 13th films moved along so quickly that they appeared to come from an assembly line. 1981’s Friday the 13th Part 2 hit the screens less than a year after the original, and most of its follow-ups followed a similar pattern. That would eventually affect the quality of the movies, but it doesn’t cause problems for the surprisingly good Part 2.

Only Alice (Adrienne King) survived the earlier flick’s slaughter at Camp Crystal Lake. She remains haunted by her experience and hides from the world. However, she doesn’t have to deal with this pain for long, as a hulking figure soon stabs her in the side of the head and kills her.

Five years after the action over at Camp Crystal Lake, Paul (John Furey) launches a counselor training camp near that bloodied locale. Paul runs the joint along with assistants Ginny (Amy Steel) and Ted (Stu Charno) plus a boatload of counselors.

Paul tells them the story of Jason, the boy who drowned at the Camp decades earlier and whose spirit allegedly haunts the place. However, he does so for wicked laughs, as no one takes the tales seriously.

Big mistake! Blood and mayhem ensue in a variety of graphic ways as Jason Voorhees (Warrington Gillette) stalks the community.

Most people think that the character of Jason emerged as a killer in the first Friday flick, but that didn’t happen. Part 2 is where we see him become the deadly force behind the movies.

Despite that twist, don’t expect Part 2 to offer an experience that notably differs from the prior flick. Really, it does little more than remake its predecessor, as it tells an extremely similar story.

That doesn’t cause any problems, though. It’s not like the first movie was particularly original, as it mixed together bits and pieces of Halloween and Psycho.

Arguably, Part 2 improves upon the first Friday, at least in some small ways. It attempts slightly greater character definition and makes its killer a more forceful factor.

The first flick’s murderer existed mainly as a shadowy presence, but here we see Jason take charge and act strongly. Sex plays a much stronger part here, as the film includes many more hook-ups and also tosses in some full-frontal female nudity, a rarity for this series. We often find topless women, but we don’t usually see them go all the way.

Although the story retells the same plot, Part 2 works better because of its direction and momentum. The first film moved in a bland and plodding way, while Part 2 actually demonstrates some flair at times. For example, the opening killing of Alice packs more tension than virtually any scene in the first movie, and some others work nicely as well.

One fun aspect of watching the Friday movies one after another: we get to see Jason develop. He played literally no role in the first film, so Part 2 offers our first look at him. He lacks his trademark hockey mask, and he comes across more like a troubled psycho than the supernatural force of evil he would become.

Overall, Friday the 13th Part 2 offers a more dynamic and tight film than its predecessor. It lacks some creativity, I suppose, but it’s not like the original presented an inventive tale.

The first tale stole from prior horror flicks, and that factor minimizes the negative impact of the sequel’s repetitiveness. I wouldn’t call Part 2 a great film, but it presents a minor improvement over the prior one.

Friday the 13th Part 2 appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 1.85:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. Given the limitations and age of the source, this became a pretty appealing presentation.

Sharpness remained positive the majority of the time, as most of the movie appeared more than acceptably concise and well-defined. Some mild softness crept into the image at times, but those instances created no issues.

I noticed no jagged edges, shimmering, or edge haloes, and with a natural layer of grain, noise reduction didn’t become a concern. As for print flaws, I saw a small speck or two but nothing more than that.

Colors came across pretty well, as most of the hues appeared pretty vibrant and lively. While the hues didn’t pop off the screen, they held up well.

Blacks seemed fairly dark and tight, while shadows looked appropriately dense and visible. No one will use the film to show off their big TVs, but this nonetheless felt like a satisfying rendition of the original photograpby.

When I examined the DTS-HD MA 5.1 remix of Part 2, I felt it offered a satisfying piece. As was the case with the track for the first flick, this one focused on general atmosphere.

Not much else happened here, and surround usage tended toward support. I noticed a few unique elements in the rear speakers – like a barking dog in the right surround – but most of the time those channels just reinforced material from the front.

And that was fine, as the forward channels opened up matters well. They showed good stereo music and demonstrated a fine sense of environment.

The mix created a surprisingly natural sense of place, so if I didn’t know better, I’d have thought the film always came with a multichannel mix. The soundtrack fit the material well.

In addition, audio quality was positive. Speech came across as reasonably concise and natural; no flaws or edginess marred the lines. Effects didn’t boast great range but they seemed clean and accurate.

Music presented nice clarity and except for a somewhat dull-sounding rock song at a bar, that side of things appeared pretty robust. While the track never dazzled, it worked well, especially given its age.

How did this 2021 Blu-ray compare to the original BD release from 2009? Despite a switch from Dolby TrueHD to DTS-HD MA, the audio felt similar, if not identical.

Visuals showed improvements with the 2021 release, though, as the remastered disc came across as a bit better defined and cleaner. The prior version looked pretty good, but the 2021 version seemed superior.

Note that Shout! Factory put out a series-spanning Friday boxed set in 2020. From what I understand, this 2021 BD offers a transfer taken from the same scan.

The 2021 BD repeats some of the old disc’s extras. Inside Crystal Lake Memories runs 11 minutes, 15 seconds and provides an interview with Memories author Peter Bracke.

Conducted by Dark Delicacies owner Del Howison, they discuss why Bracke decided to write the book, his research and the writing process, his approach to the material, aspects of Part 2 and thoughts about the series’ enduring appeal.

I was pleased that “Inside” spent so much time on the production of Part 2. I feared it would be little more than a way to promote Bracke’s book, but it never feels like a promotional tool.

Instead, we get good details about the series and Part 2 in particular. It’s too bad this disc doesn’t include the deleted shots Bracke mentions here, though.

Next comes the six-minute, 50-second Friday’s Legacy: Horror Conventions. It includes some remarks from Scarefest event manager Jeff Waldridge, Friday makeup effects creator Tom Savini, Friday writer Victor Miller, composer Harry Manfredini, Scarefest host Patty Star, and actors Ari Lehman, Betsy Palmer, and Tucky Williams.

We learn a little about Scarefest and why the folks involved in films like to appear there. Unlike “Inside”, “Legacy” does feel promotional. We get no real insights into the horror convention phenomenon and just learn how terrific they are.

A continuation of a piece started on the Friday the 13th disc, Lost Tales from Camp Blood – Part 2 goes for eight minutes, 54 seconds. Actually, “continuation” isn’t really correct, as both parts of “Lost Tales” show different short horror films. Neither offer much entertainment, so don’t expect much from them.

In addition to the film’s trailer, we find a 29-minute, 27-second show called Jason Forever. This takes us to a January 2004 Fangoria convention that united four of the actors who played Jason.

We meet Ari Lehman, Warrington Gillette, CJ Graham and Kane Hodder. They provide some memories of their work on the films. The program gives us a decent roster of facts and proves to be reasonably entertaining.

Like many sequels, Friday the 13th Part 2 does little more than remake its predecessor. However, it does so in a satisfying way, as it presents a discernibly more dynamic and visceral experience. The Blu-ray offers good picture and audio along with a minor set of extras. Friday the 13th Part 2 probably won’t win over any non-fans, but it acts as one of the better entries in the series.

Note that as of summer 2021, this remastered Friday the 13th Part 2 disc can only be purchased as part of a new “8 Movie Collection”. Unsurprisingly, this provides the series’ first eight movies, the first four of which get new transfers – well, new to Paramount releases, as these seem to duplicate the presentations found on the 2020 Shout! Factory boxed set.

To rate this film visit original review of FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 2