In the age of reboots, it appears as if producers are running out of screenplay ideas. This is the fourth Wes Craven movie reboot in four years-The Hills Have Eyes, The Hills Have Eyes 2, Last House on the Left and now Nightmare on Elm Street.
I’m not a fan of reboots, but this movie made me jump out of my seat a few times. The story has been switched around a little bit, but the same premise is there: teenagers have nightmares about Freddy Kruger and he kills them in their sleep. One, two, here comes Freddy. Three, four, he slashes your body.
So yes, maybe the movie was a bit predictable, but I loved actor Jackie Earl Haley in the role of Freddy Kruger. His deepened voice made the character that much more violent and malicious, but the pun-lines were still priceless.
My favorite pun-line was after Freddy uses the typical three-claw slash on one of the teenage victim’s dog, and says, “I was just petting him.”
Although the pun-lines got lamer and lamer as the movie went on, it put a good laugh into the thriller.
People say sleep is the cousin of death, and the movie really puts the fear into falling asleep. I could not help but compare the fear of falling asleep to someone not wanting to pee because of a horrible bladder infection; no matter how much you have to pee, anything beats using the restroom.
The distortion of what constituted the victims’ reality made it all the more appealing, and sent off, even if it was in an extreme fashion, a message of what constitutes one’s personal realm or reality.
The CGI on Kruger’s face made the cuts and scars on his face that much more real, and the producers did an excellent job creating the body of a burn victim.
Instead of making Freddy a mass murderer out to take revenge on those who brought about his demise, Freddy is now a creepy pedophile who gets burnt to death by the families of the teenagers who experienced the “secret” cave.
If you are looking for another slasher film with random nude shots, this is not the movie for you. The only pornography you will get in this reboot is torture porn, which is what 1people typically like anyway (i.e. Saw series).
On the contrary to Roger Ebert’s one-star bashing of the slasher, I give this reboot 2.5 stars. The background story was interesting, and the role of Kruger made it all the better, but a bit too predictable. When Freddy comes after you, better stay awake.
