I know, many would say I shouldn’t bother with any of them, yadda yadda yadda. So here I’m asking those who enjoyed the series whenever it was at its best. I’ve seen 1-3 (saw the 3D one in theaters, actually!) and also 7, the one with the TK chick versus Jason. I saw the lamentable Freddy versus Jason. From the reviews I’ve scanned online, it looks like parts 4 and 5 were pretty bad, with the high point of the series being part 6 in most people’s opinions. Would fans of the series agree? Can I just pretend 4 and 5 never happened and be happy moving on starting with part 6, or is there something worthwhile in those two flicks?
Good question, I know my brother has all of them except for the one that just came out on DVD, maybe Ill watch them all next weekend and try to form an opinion.
My personal one is Jason in space … but I may just be strange=)
I can’t even remember part 4. Part 5 doesn’t even have Jason in it (if I remember…is that a spoiler??).
6 was decent and 7 was my favorite only because Jason is about as strong as the Hulk making doors literally EXPLODE when he opens them.
Don’t forget “Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday”!
Well, as far as the “quality” of the films is concerned, they’re merely okay–generally better than that latter (4-6) installments of “Nightmare on Elm St.”
However, the latter half of the “Friday” films is where Kane Hodder takes over full-time as Jason (he’s the “hulk” dude.) Kane has always been a fan favorite, though I’m partial to Ted White’s Jason. Haven’t seen Mears in the new film, yet. So I suppose they’re worthwhile to see Kane at work. There’s more continuity in the character’s look/walk/actions than in the earlier films.
Also, whichever one has Corey Feldman as Tommy Jarvis is worthwhile just for his performance.
I love Jason X. Scary, it was not, but it was an entertaining gore-flick with a good dose of humour. (Getting Jason into the ‘holodeck’ with the Camp Crystal Lake sim cracked me up. ‘Let’s do drugs and have sex!’)
As a fan of the series back in the day, 4 and 5 are actually the best of the franchise IMO. 4 is something of a climax of the story, and 5 is meant to be something of a reboot. They were the only ones in the franchise to have anything approaching sympathetic character development and plot 
If I remember correctly, the fifth movie has the naked chick with the best body.
</slightly ashamed>
I did a thread recently ranking the F13’s from best to worse. Part 4 is one of the better ones (and it takes place on Monday the 16th btw, since 2, 3 and 4 all take place within a couple days of each other) and it finishes off the first story (hense the “Final Chapter”). You can totally skip part 5…it’s one of the lamest in the series, and again, it’s a Jason copycat rather than the real guy. Part 6, on the other hand, is my favorite in the series and is a must-see. 7-12 all have a gimmick attached to them (supernatural powers, taking a cruise to NYC, Jason’s “soul”, Jason in Space, Jason vs Freddy), and some people dig some and hate the others.