Reviewed by Daniel Rutledge
The latest from Michael Bay’s soulless horror remake factory ‘Platinum Dunes’ has hit our screens after the likes of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Friday the 13th and The Amityville Horror; and Nightmare on Elm Street is actually pretty good.
Of course, there are zero points for originality, and this latest version is nowhere near as good as the first. But that was always going to be the case and after so many remakes, it doesn’t annoy me so much any more.
Aside from Freddy Kruegar, none of the characters are very interesting or likeable.
It’s also disappointing that despite the fact much of the film takes place in dream sequences, the set pieces are not very imaginative or visually astounding. There is one exception, a fantastic scene using a beautiful piece of CGI - you’ll know it when you see it.
Despite its faults, the movie succeeds where it needs to. The horror sequences are scary, in both atmospheric and horrific ways, and most of the kills are gory and memorable enough to please genre fans, which is all I need to get my money’s worth.
Jackie Earl Hayley’s Freddy Kruegar is relentlessly sinister and terrifying, just how he should be. Hayley is not as good as Robert Englund was, for sure, but I love how truly horrible his character is. He’s much more like the Kruegar of the first original film, not the jokey murderous prankster from the many sequels who tried to make you laugh more often than scare you.
And it is a joy to see Kruegar on the big screen again, the last time we had that was with the abysmal Freddy vs Jason in 2003.
If you are a horror fan, you should enjoy Nightmare on Elm St. It certainly didn’t blow me away, but it was surprisingly entertaining.
Three and a half stars.
A Nightmare on Elm Street
:: Director: Samuel Bayer
:: Starring:Jackie Earle Haley, Rooney Mara, Kyle Gallner, Katie Cassidy
:: Running Time: 96 mins
:: Rating: R16 - Contains Violence, Offensive Language & Sexual Themes
:: Release Date: May 27, 2010
:: Links: Trailer
