Jason X

The premise of Jason X is silly but strangely believable.

It gets much more watchable in the last half-hour.

A moviegoer's only defense against Jason is to avoid theaters showing this gruesome and derivative movie.

A moviegoer's only defense against Jason is to avoid theaters showing this gruesome and derivative movie.

Jason X conjures up more giggles than scares, assuming you make it through the first 15 minutes.

If the 10th "Friday" sounds like the first "Alien," it's strictly intentional. Todd Farmer's script rips off that classic sci-fi horror film, replaces the acid-based monster with the hockey-masked Jason, adopts the self-mocking attitude of "Scream" and lets the heads, arms, legs and torsos fall where they may.

A protracted and only sporadically imaginative menu of ways to be murdered.

Even the imaginative gore can't hide the musty scent of Todd Farmer's screenplay.

Even the imaginative gore can't hide the musty scent of Todd Farmer's screenplay.

Further proof that titular antagonist Jason Voorhes is ready for retirement -- to videostore shelves.