Seemingly unstoppable and indestructible killer Jason Voorhees (hulking behemoth Kane Hodder in peak menacing form) finally gets blown to bits by the feds in an ambush, but he ain't down for the count just yet. Jason this time takes over the bodies of other folks so he can continue butchering people. Moreover, he can either be reborn or destroyed by a blood relative. Director Adam Marcus, working from a clever script by Dean Lorey and Jay Huguely, relates the compelling story at a constant snappy pace, maintains a mean, brutal tone throughout, delivers plenty of nasty gore (a young lady getting impaled on a tent spike while doing just what you think with her boyfriend rates as the definite splatter highlight), further tarts things up with a welcome sense of self-mocking black humor, offers a generous sprinkling of tasty female nudity, stages the murder set pieces with rip-roaring brio (the delightfully outrageous diner massacre sequence in particular seriously smokes), and really goes for broke with a gloriously wild ending which comes complete with one doozy of a sequel set-up punchline. The solid cast contribute admirably sincere performances: John D. LeMay makes for a refreshingly unlikely hero as the nerdy Steven Freeman, Kari Keegan likewise impresses as the sweet Jessica Kimble, Steven Williams almost steals the whole show with his colorful portrayal of flamboyant bounty hunter Creighton Duke, plus there are neat turns by Erin Gray as the spunky Diana Kimble, Allison Smith as Jessica's cheery gal pal Vicki, Steven Culp as opportunistic TV newscaster Robert Campbell, Billy Green Bush as the hard-nosed Sheriff Ed Landis, and Rusty Schwimmer as feisty, foul-mouthed diner owner Joey B. William Dill's slick cinematography gives the picture a properly moody look. Harry Manfredini's amped-up version of his familiar shivery score hits the shuddery spot. The make-up effects by KNB are first-rate. Unjustly ridiculed by most fans of the series, this outing sizes up as one of the more creative and entertaining entries in the long-running slasher horror series.