Freddy vs. Jason 2003

John Monaghan, Detroit Free Press: New Line's smartest move was letting Ronny Yu direct. Read more

Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: Anyone weaned on these movies -- which is to say, pretty much anyone who grew up during the 1980s and 1990s -- will get a kick out of seeing how those two universes, with all their respective tropes and rules, have been melded. Read more

Robert K. Elder, Chicago Tribune: Freddy vs. Jason succeeds as a guilty pleasure. Read more

Elvis Mitchell, New York Times: This grunge match is far more horrible than horrifying. Read more

Bob Longino, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: A horror fan's wet bloodfest with an outrageous story line and plenty of laughs. Read more

Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: Deeply, proudly unimaginative. Read more

Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times: It is downright depressing to think about all that vigorous cinematic artistry and expertise aimed so low. Read more

Brian Thomas, Chicago Reader: Director Ronny Yu loses energy when it shifts to the dumb teen protagonists, and the script faithfully wallows in cliches so ridiculous they border on Scary Movie territory. Read more

Bruce Westbrook, Houston Chronicle: Nicely balancing mayhem and mirth, Yu keeps his film kicking. The action is lovingly lurid, and the laughs keep coming. Read more

Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post: The website is more entertaining than the movie. Read more

Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: There are far less lively ways to spend a night at the movies. Read more

Jennie Punter, Globe and Mail: Too much chatting, not enough chills. Read more

Gary Dowell, Dallas Morning News: A goofy but occasionally fun novelty that's more enjoyable than it has any right to be. Read more

Scott Foundas, L.A. Weekly: Does a decent job of making like the 1980s never ended. Read more

John Anderson, Newsday: Fans of the two series will laugh, because the genre is so squarely skewered. Others will wonder what the big deal is, having seen King Kong vs. Godzilla, Mothra vs. Rodan and any number of sitcom weddings. Read more

Bob Campbell, Newark Star-Ledger: Will satisfy the hordes who've awaited this heavyweight matchup for a decade. Read more

Jack Mathews, New York Daily News: Though a stickler might ask what's at stake in a fight to the death between two guys who are already dead, the hard-core fans aren't likely to be disappointed. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: Good concept, mediocre execution. Read more

Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: Considering what the filmmakers had to work with, and the fact that it has all been done before, Freddy Vs. Jason isn't bad. Read more

Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune: Pitting the bad guys against each other merely recycles all the shtick we've seen before. Read more

Peter Howell, Toronto Star: Only masochists need contemplate laying down good money on this atrocity. Read more

Time Out: It's pretty obvious where director Ronnie Yu's sympathies lie. Still, he can't find a satisfactory resolution to that old teaser about an implacable force vs the immovable object: how to kill off your cash cow and milk her too. Read more

Mike Clark, USA Today: Though not exactly John Wayne and Jimmy Stewart in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, star-power marquee teaming is about all Freddy vs. Jason has. Read more

Andy Klein, Variety: It's more marketing concept than aesthetic, and problems inherent in both series -- like the fact the villains are indestructible -- are only multiplied. Read more

Mark Holcomb, Village Voice: Screenwriters Damian Shannon and Mark Swift don't try all that hard to meld the respective series ... and director Ronny Yu's efforts to generate visual interest ... are overfamiliar as every other slasher trope. Read more