More than 20 years after the character’s debut, our favorite murderous maniac went where no slasher had gone before: space. 2001’s Jason X took the violent Mr. Voorhees into the cosmos.

In 2008, scientists freeze unkillable serial killer Jason Voorhees (Kane Hodder). In 2455, Popsicle Jason gets discovered and thawed.

This occurs on a spacecraft populated by students on a research project. Unfrozen and ready for mayhem, Jason goes on a violent rampage.

While I admire the filmmakers for their decision to take Jason in a new direction outside of the traditional rural locations, X still does little to separate itself from the usual simplistic plotlines of the past. Like the campgrounds of those flicks, the spacecraft comes teeming with beautiful young woman and sex-crazed men. You realize that outside of the film’s futuristic appearance, it’s going to be the same old story.

Spaceships, advanced heavy artillery and sophisticated nano-droids aside, little has changed. Sure, the kids of the 25th century are presumably a lot smarter than we are, but they still do the same stupid things that will inevitably lead to their premature deaths.

Truthfully, I didn’t really know what I was going to think of this film as I went into it. While I’ve enjoyed the series over the years, the last handful of them prior to X left a bitter taste in my mouth.

Frankly, filmmakers can only do so much with a one-dimensional lead character who just tilts his head from side to side like a bewildered collie. Jason has one goal in life, as he relentlessly stalks his prey and kills them.

Occasionally he takes damage and falls over dead, only to magically spring back to life and continue the hunt. In Jason X, things become no different.

While the students try and use technology to their advantage, be it weaponry or virtual reality simulations, we all know that in the end Jason’s going to take them out. It’s the sole reason people go to see these films. Still, even mass murder can get a little old without a few new surprises, so Jason X tries to deliver that.

While recurring film characters like James Bond have the luxury of sophisticated plotlines to take them from one film to the next, Jason is unfortunately a character with very little charm, personality or fashion sense. Jason X filmmakers were forced to take drastic steps to differentiate this film from it predecessors, and in this case it comes through the use of special effects.

We find CG everywhere in the film, from microscopic nano-ants to intergalactic spaceships. The downside to this overzealous display of visual effects comes to us courtesy of the films limited budget.

While many of the special effects look fine, others appear downright awful. Still, at the end of the day it was hard not to applaud the effort that was involved in doing what they could on a shoestring budget.

In the end there was only one real reason I wanted to see this film and that was because Jason undergoes a radical visual transformation in this film. While originally intended to be a big secret, the film’s lengthy production process sprung leaks like a screen door on a submarine.

While the surprise of a cybernetic Uber-Jason would make for a cool climax to the film, everyone eventually knew it would happen. In fact, in the end the studio madde no effort at all to hide this fact.

So how does Uber-Jason fly? He seems kind of cool and sort of stupid at the same time.

Aside from his new appearance he doesn’t seem much tougher than he already was. Lets face it: he can’t ie so they cannot do a lot to add to his already fearsome visage.

He doesn’t have machine guns or homing missiles built into his body. Technically he gains nothing of value other than some shiny new chrome plating.

While Jason X certainly won’t win any of the actors Academy Awards, the performances feel acceptable and pretty much on par for a Friday the 13th film. The movie boasts a few entertaining moments, but doesnt really work hard enough.

If the film intends to offer fans more of what they loved – gory kills –then it succeeds there, as the body count becomes large. All in all, I felt fairly entertained, but nothing more.

My desire to watch the film again certainly won’t rear its head anytime soon. Seeing Jason X comes more from curiosity than anything else, and while it fares better than some of the sequels, it feels worse than some.

Jason X pretty much falls somewhere in the middle. It’s basically just… okay.

Jason X appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 1.85:1 on this Blu-Ray Disc. This became a generally positive presentation.

Sharpness became to main issue. While much of the film demonstrated decent to good clarity, more than a few soft spots appeared, usually in wider elements. These didn’t turn dominant, but they showed up more often than I’d expect.

No signs of jaggies or moiré effects occurred, and I noticed no edge haloes. Grain seemed natural, and the image lacked print flaws.

Colors tended to be stylized, as they veered from chilly blues to ambers to oranges. These worked well within their intended design.

Blacks were dark and tight, while shadows looked smooth and clear. The softness became a modest distraction, though one I felt probably stemmed from the source.

I felt the film’s DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack satisfied. With its combination of space and violence, the soundscape offered a lot of good opportunities for involving material, and it used them pretty well.

Gunshots, ships and other mayhem popped up from all around the room, and the elements came together reasonably well. This wasn’t the best-integrated mix I’ve heard, but it worked nicely.

Audio quality was good. Music was peppy and full, though the cheap sound of the synth score was a negative - and dialogue showed natural, distinct tones.

Effects came across as accurate and dynamic, with rich bass. The track could’ve been a bit smoother in terms of soundfield, but it was still pretty impressive.

How did the 2020 Shout Blu-ray compare to the original BD? Both appeared to offer identical audio.

However, the Shout release’s visuals demonstrated nice improvements. The 2020 image seemed better defined and that made it a good upgrade.

When we shift to extras, we find two separate audio commentaries, the first of which comes from director Jim Isaac, writer Todd Farmer and producer Noel Cunningham. Isaac and Farmer sit together for a running, screen-specific chat.

Cunningham’s notes come from a separate session and get edited into the Isaac/Farmer discussion. We look at the project's roots and development, story/character areas, sets and production design, cast and performances, costumes and cinematography, effects, makeup and stunts, violence and the MPAA, and a mix of other topics.

While Cunningham offers some occasional tidbits – and gives us good thoughts when he appears – Isaac and Farmer dominate the commentary, and that’s a good thing. They’re consistently fun and chatty as they cover the film, and they contribute lots of useful details about the production. We learn a lot about X and enjoy ourselves along the way.

New to the 2020 Shout Blu-ray, we get a second commentary with writer Todd Farmer and author Peter M. Bracke. Both sit together for a running, screen-specific look at the movie’s development and Farmer’s involvement, story/characters, influences, genre domains, cast and performances, sets and various effects, thoughts about a sequel and related domains.

Farmer gives us a blunt track, one that recognizes the film’s lack of commercial success and gets into its legacy. We get a good array of topics in this informative track.

The film can be viewed with or without a 42-second Introduction from Actor Kane Hodder. He says he hopes we enjoy the movie and jokingly threatens to kill us in this cute but forgettable addition.

A mix of video features follow. The Many Lives Of Jason Voorhees runs 30 minutes, five seconds and offers notes from Farmer, Hodder, cultural critic David Del Valle, Fangoria editor Tony Timpone, filmmaker Mark Borchardt, fan Mike Schank, Jason Goes to Hell director Adam Marcus, movie critics Drew McWeeny and Joe Bob Briggs, and Friday the 13th creator Sean S. Cunningham.

“Lives” looks at the slasher/“body count” genre, New Line Cinema CEO Robert Shaye, the origins of the Friday franchise, the success/influence of the original, and aspects of the series.

“Lives” acts as something of a history of the Friday flicks, and it gives us some interesting moments. It’s far too short to act as a thorough overview – and it clearly exists mainly to promote Jason X - but it moves well and gives us decent information. Don’t expect anything great but it comes across with enough meat to make it worthwhile.

Next we find the 17-minute, 34-second By Any Means Necessary: The Making Of Jason X. It provides notes from Sean S. Cunningham, Farmer, Isaac, Hodder, actors Derwin Jordan and Lexa Doig. and a bunch of unidentified people. Actually, the program lists the names for none of the participants, but I recognized the folks I listed.

“Means” looks at the project’s roots and development, story/character elements, effects and other visual elements, costume and production design, and some other areas.

“Means” becomes an above-average “making of” piece. Though it comes with some of the usual hyperbole, it brings us lots of good footage from the set and proves to be more informative than most of its ilk.

From here we head to material exclusive to the Shout release. Outta Space goes for 33 minutes, nine seconds and features Noel Cunningham, Sean S.Cunningham, Hodder, and Farmer.

“Space” covers the roots and development of Jason X, inspirations, story/characters, director Jim Isaac, the early use of digital technology, deleted concepts, aspects of the shoot, the movie’s delayed release, and its reception/legacy. Some of the content repeats from other features on this disc, but “Space” still offers a solid summary.

In Space No One Can Hear You Scream spans 23 minutes, 10 seconds. It provides remarks from Todd Farmer.

This time the screenwriter examines aspects of development, the movie’s place in the franchise, story/characters, influences, cast and performances, original plans for a sequel, and related topics. Again, Farmer echoes some info from elsewhere, but he remains engaging enough to overcome those moments.

With Kristi Is a Headbanger, we find an 11-minute, 12-second reel. This one focuses on actor Kristi Angus.

She talks about how she got her part as well as thoughts about her performance and experiences on the shoot. Angus delivers an engaging chat.

Jason Rebooted runs 15 minutes, 32 seconds. Here we find more info from Sean S. Cunningham.

The series creator examines the long gestation of Freddy Vs. Jason and how this eventually led to Jason Goes to Hell and Jason X as well as other issues connected to the continuation of the franchise. Some of this appears elsewhere but Cunningham summarizes the material well.

A Club Reel goes for three minutes, 25 seconds and presents basically a music video that consists of movie clips. It seems forgettable.

Under Vintage Interviews, we find 51 minutes, 42 seconds of comments shot during the production. These include Hodder, Doig, Isaac, Cunningham, and actors Lisa Ryder, Melyssa Ade, Jonathan Potts, Derwin Jordan, Peter Mensah, and Chuck Campbell.

Recorded for the EPK we'll soon see, the participants lean heavily on general notes and happy talk. Even across nearly 52 minutes, we get almost nothing of substance, so I don't blame you if you skip this monotonous package.

Behind the Scenes Footage occupies 56 minutes, 47 seconds and offers just what the title implies: “fly on the wall” glimpses of the shoot. I enjoy footage of this sort and this becomes a fine compilation.

Next we locate an Electronic Press Kit that lasts 25 minutes, 51 seconds. It gives us notes from Hodder, Isaac, Cunningham, Doig and Ryder.

Actually, the first 17:38 shows “B-roll footage” from the set, and that entertains. After that we get the same dull interview snippets, so you can skip the EPK once the B-roll material concludes.

In addition to three trailers and seven TV spots, we get a Still Gallery (106 frames) and a Posters and Behind the Scenes Gallery (58). The first one seems forgettable but “Posters” offers some good imagery.

While Jason X doesn’t offer the worst in the Friday the 13th series, it fails to become the best either. Despite some changes, it fundamentally provides the same thing we saw nine times previously. The Blu-ray presents generally positive picture as well as very good audio and a nice set of supplements. Even with a new futuristic setting, the film offers the same old same old.

Note that as of April 2025, this Shout Blu-ray of the film appears solely as part of a 12-film “Friday the 13th Collection” set. It also includes the first nine Friday flicks, 2003’s Freddy vs. Jason, the 2009 reboot and a two discs of bonus materials.