For starters, I was a huge fan of the original Nightmare On Elm Street, so I was very skeptical about seeing the remake. I was getting mixed reviews from viewers who saw it but decided the best review will come from seeing it myself. For starters my friend Jon and I were fortunate enough to get the theater that was completely empty so there was no side commentary from little kids complaining about how “not scary” it was.
Scare-Quality: I’ve seen a fair share of horror movies in my lifetime (probably more than the healthy dosage). I even fall asleep every night to the screams of old black and white horror films. Nothing can really scare me these days. Perhaps it is a result of spending so much time out on my own or realizing how far-fetched these stories actually are. I can’t even say that blood and gore bother me anymore. The only thing that still seems to get me are what I call “sudden scares.” Although, even in most modern films, these moments aren’t so sudden anymore due to the crescendo of music. Sudden scares are definitely what makes up the bulk of this film. In saying that, the actual scare-quality of this film is rather low unless your are extremely squeamish and paranoid.
Story: I won’t spoil the plot-line, for those who have yet to see it, but I will say there are a lot of differences between the remake and the original story. For example, Freddy is still victimized by the parents but for different reasons. Without going into too much detail, I was very disappointed with this change above everything else in this movie. One thing I did like in the remake was the lack of stupidity in the characters. If you can remember, the characters of the original relied on coffee to keep themselves awake. In the remake they resort to anything they can get their hands on from Adderall to Adrenaline--an obvious indication that they want to live and not just dramatically screaming for their lives.
The new Freddy Krueger: Yes, the center of controversy concerning this film. Let me start by stating that personally I was a HUGE fan of Rorschach in the film version of Watchmen so Jackie Earle Haley was one of the only reasons I even came to see this movie in the first place. Don’t get me wrong, I always admired Robert Englund as the original Freddy Krueger but the main draw for the remake was the new actor. However, I am saddened to say that I was quite disappointed with Haley’s performance. The deep voice and creepiness was definitely there, but he lacked the character. I think anyone who has seen the original Nightmare On Elm Street will agree the thing that made Freddy so likable was his sardonic personality that made you uncomfortably laugh through all of his scenes. Finally, I think I should add that CG characters need to get the hell out of our movies before we start boycotting contemporary cinema. I would take a made-up Robert Englund over a CG Jackie Haley any day.
Overall I’ll give this movie a 5 out of 10. Worth seeing, if you’re a Nightmare fan but wait until it comes out on DVD.
Cheers!
