"Friday the 13th" ** (out of four): This latest installment in the venerable franchise doesn't aspire to be a great film, just a good slasher pic, and that's exactly what it is.

Assuming that you have not been sequestered on the slopes of Mount Athos for the past twenty-nine years the general premise of the "Friday the 13th" series is probably at least somewhat familiar, to wit: Jason Voorhees, understandably upset at having been allowed to drown by a bunch of feckless camp counselors, seeks revenge on anyone in the vicinity. Since Mr. Voorhees first stalked the woods around Camp Crystal Lake way back in 1980 [note to purists: poetic license is being invoked], he has returned from the dead no fewer than 10 times, bringing his special brand of murder and mayhem to such far-flung locations as Manhattan, Elm Street, and low-Earth orbit.

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