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This third installment is a definite letdown, but relax fans, it's only temporary as the fourth chapter will trump about anything in the Friday the 13th universe.  There's no other way to put this really: this sequel is rather dull and incoherent.  The characters, while yes there are a few characterizations, unfortunately they are annoying.  Even the final girl is annoying.  This is the first Friday to take place in a barn, but it won't be the last. 

This movie only has three  defining features (good and bad) as it's dull as hell otherwise:

1. The 3-D effects
2.  Introduction to the hockey mask
3.  The awesome disco theme

What's really interesting is that parts 2, 3, and 4 all happen on the same, very s**tty weekend for folks in the Crystal Lake area, and Jason sure goes through a lot of changes in height, build, dress, and movement.  This movie drastically changes the killer-point-of-view shots where Jason just kinda lurks in the corner, visible, and it doesn't seem to go over very well at all.  He seems more like a set guy walking around unknowingly in the shots rather than a creepy woodsman stalking teenagers.

And of course, this one is known for Jason's acquisition of the hockey mask from the prankster.  We never see the burlap sack again, which is unfortunate as it only got a little screen time in comparison.  Speaking of which, Jason unmasked in this one (version 3.0) makes him look like inbred donkey retard, whether it's a hallucination or not. 

Due to it's lack of coherent content, I won't be recapping this atrocity; rather I will just make some observations and maybe highlight some sequences, but over all the story is just too damn boring.   Here's the basic layout:

1.  Recap end of last movie, which really doesn't have s**t to do with this story
2.  Show the demise of two annoying storekeepers who have no relation to the story (just so Jason could get new clothes?)
3. Introduce kid fodder, establish Final Girl, play pranks, poke smot, have sex, Jason lurks as usual
4. Bikers(TM)
5. Final Girl flashes back to previous Jason attack (which doesn't fit in the chronology established so far)
6. Clear Dead weight and commence with chase down ...as usual
7. First terrible Friday ending

The ending to this one is competing hard in the Friday series universe of s**tty incoherent endings. I'm not sure if it's supposed to be a dream, a hallucination, real(TM), or what but any which way, it doesn't make sense.  I'll go ahead and ruin it for you: the final scare(TM) is a rip off of the first one, but instead of Jason leaping out of the water, it's his headless mother (!?). 

As for the 3D effects, they're pretty lame and many of the scenes are contrived to make full use them, especially the great one where a kid is just holding a bat up to the screen.  Yay.  I think we see the following in 3D: a clothes line pole, a baseball bat, a yo-yo, a couple pitchforks, a poker, an axe, a joint, juggling balls, an eyeball, and Jason's hands.  I'm sure I missed some of them but who cares.

And how can I not talk about the disco theme?!  It would qualify as the worst Friday theme if it weren't so goddamned funny!  Besides, part 8 takes the cake with the s**tty music/score/theme song with it's late 80s nerf metal, Winger/Warrant clone. 

Good

Actual characterizations (Jewfro, Sister Christian, and Horny Boyfriend)
Hockey mask
Chase down's not near as good as 2's but it's still tolerable

Bad

The useless couple at the unfortunate general store
The astro-turf lawn at the unfortunate general store
Lame 3D effects
Idiot prankster
Annoying Final Girl
The Bikers

Fugly

When nature calls - we didn't need to experience that, thank you
Rick's never-ending horndog attitude
Rick's eye-popping
Driving by a mass murder scene in apathy, when the killer is still on the loose
The lack of continuity and far-out changes in this really bad week (parts 2, 3, and 4)

Things I've Learned

Jason hates hippies
Biker chicks act as if the interior of a barn is quite the heavenly experience
There's always a weird old man spouting doomsday prophecies near a camp site
Chicks dig the juggling in the Friday universe

Other Possible Names:

Boredom the 13th: In 3D
Jason vs. Sister Christian
Donkey Noises

About the time this film came out in 3-D, my sister and I were into watching every 3-D movie we could see at the theater. Actually, she aaw more 3-D movies than I did, because she watched this one, and I missed in on purpose. But, her favorite part of this film was Rick's eye=popping, and in 3-D, yet.

It really isn't a great flick.  It's enjoyable to watch on dvd though, because, they didn't include 3-D glasses with the box set, so you just see random things fly at the screen for no reason, and the camera stays on it for no reason. 

At least the Elm Street box set had the 3-D glasses.

I really wish that they would give the option to watch this in 3-D with those funky glasses from back in the day.  Same thing with Jaws 3 as well.

At least New Line had the common sense to do this with the 3-D segment in part 6 of the Nightmare franchise.