bluez24

I remember watching this episode and realizing quickly into it that the premise was clearly inspired by a movie that had been released the year before. The movie was "Shoot to Kill" and was about an FBI agent tracking a hiking, camping group (being led by a guide) that contained a recently escaped criminal. The viewer did not know who the criminal was until later in the movie. Part of what made the movie interesting was trying to figure out who the criminal might be.

This episode of MacGyver was similar. You do not know who the criminal is and you find out towards the end. But as soon as the first 5 minutes went by, I knew it was going to be drawing some plot points from the movie.

I am a big fan of the Friday the 13th movies. Maybe in part it is nostalgia for the 1980s. You have to admire that they created the "Jason" character and made some pretty good movies with good suspenseful atmosphere. This one is one of the best of the series.

I think the first four are overall the best. The later movies were just too unrealistic (although they did have some interesting scenes). I say that because in the later movies Jason is too "invincible" (being brought back to life by lightning in Part 6, e.g.) and they have scenes where Jason walks through woods and yet catches people running. Just too unrealistic. I know it is known that the actor who played Jason in the later movies, Kane Hodder, didn't think Jason should "run" since it was beneath the character or something. However, the first four movies are better (ignoring the fact it was Jason's mom in the first one killing people) because Jason is more realistic. It's scarier when Jason is tough and is not easily hurt or killed, but at the same time does not act "superhuman." He is scary due to his determination. That is why I think Jason in parts 2, 3 and 4 are the best overall. It just got too over the top in later movies.

POSSIBLE spoilers below: This third installment is great, certainly among the best of the series, maybe the best (probably a close tie with part 4, it's hard to say part 3 or 4 are not the best two overall in the series). We have a great heroine, played by Dana Kimmell, Jason first gets his hockey mask, we have unique killings. Richard Brooker does an excellent job playing Jason, the subtle body language he uses to make Jason menacing. Jason is deliberate in this, very focused on his mission of killing people. Plus, compared to part 2, you see a lot more of Jason now. Many of the part 2 scenes were filmed too much in the dark, you don't see much of Jason. Here you have more shots of Jason openly tossing over hay bales in the barn, for example, looking for the main female (Chris), where you get to see more of him from interesting camera angles, his body language, his determination. The sack Jason wore in part 2 was OK, but Jason just looks scarier, more menacing here. Maybe it was due to the hockey mask in this movie, and to Brooker playing Jason well.

The final chase sequence is, as others have noted, action packed and suspenseful. The first killing where Jason is actually wearing the hockey mask is memorable, he is deliberate and patient with his weapon of choice (speargun). This is the movie where Jason really develops his own style, and becomes iconic almost in the horror genre.

This movie, along with Death Wish III (1985), are my two favorites in the series. The first is decent but this one and the third are a little over the top (in a good way). They are meant to be entertaining. This movie has a good "gang" of criminals, which Paul Kersey hunts down. People who say that the movie was bad because it didn't offer any obvious explanation for why they invaded Bronson's house, or that it makes criminals look irrational, are wrong. If you were the victim of a crime, do you really care why the criminal is doing it ? Besides, it's just a movie. It may be unrealistic in that Kersey finds the criminals he's after fairly easily, but again, it's just a movie meant to ENTERTAIN. It's not a dissertation.

Possible spoilers...

This movie has a great shootout in the park between Bronson and the gang, followed thereafter by a fight between Bronson and the final gang member still alive. Plus the score by Jimmy Page, as others have noted, adds to the atmosphere.