Everybody's a critic - 'Freddy vs. Jason'

Two stars (out of four)

"Freddy vs. Jason" is a very typical modern horror film, full of violence, gore and mayhem. Included is the stereotypical hero and heroine, who seem to be the only characters who have any moral inclination whatsoever.

The twist is that there are two dead human monsters who have come back from the grave, and when they are not butchering the general populace they are hacking and mutilating each other.

To my surprise, there is decent acting, a story line and a real clever way in which Freddy's past is connected and intertwined with the characters of the present.

It concerns me that this kind of mutilating, hacking and bloodletting seems not only acceptable but necessary to elicit the appropriate shock and fear from the audience. I do like a good horror film, but I prefer one with a bit more finesse instead of mind-numbing butchery.

Sharon Metzger, registered nurse

One star (out of four)

I walked into the movie "Freddy vs. Jason" wondering if I would be able to sit through its 108-minute running time. Horror/slasher movies are generally too scary for me. Fortunately, the only thing truly scary about this movie is the knowledge that theatergoers made it the highest grossing movie in America last week.

New Line Cinema, which already owns "Nightmare on Elm Street," acquired the rights to the "Friday the 13th" movies. It was inevitable that they would seek to pair Freddy Kruger and Jason Voorhees to see what mixture of horror and mayhem the two could stir up. It was a logical concept, but the movie fails horribly in its execution. There are no surprises. The climactic 25-minute battle is 20 minutes too long, and it ends as we know it will. Both Freddy and Jason will be back. I won't.

Mary Stone, teacher

One and a half stars (out of four)

I give this film 1 1/2 stars because as far as slasher films goes this one is right up there. It is as good as the first "Friday the 13th" and "Nightmare on Elm Street."

As in every slasher film there are parts that make you jump and parts that are so ridiculous that you wonder why you are watching it. The audience had the same response. They jumped at some scenes and laughed at others.

As I said, I am judging this film in the category of "slasher films." That means if you don't like to see lots and lots of blood, don't mind foul language and don't mind naked bodies, it is OK to see this.

I would not under any circumstances bring young people to this movie, but if like me you are a horror film fan, you must see this one.

Renee Pickett, retired nurse