A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (REMAKE) (2010)

Directed By: Samuel Bayer
Written By: Wesley Strick & Eric Heisserer
Story By: Wesley Strick
Based on Characters Created by: Wes Craven
Cinematography By: Jeff Cutter
Editor: Glen Scantlebury

Cast: Jackie Earle Haley, Rooney Mara, Kyle Gallner, Kellan Lutz, Katie Cassidy, Thomas Dekker, Clancy Brown, Connie Britton,

Death stalks the dreams of several young adults to claim its revenge on the killing of Freddy Kruger. Chased and chastised by this finger-bladed demon, it is the awakening of old memories and the denials of a past of retribution that spurns this hellish vision of a dreamlike state and turns death into a nightmare reality.

Originally intended to be a prequel, but the idea was dropped. which might have been something creative and different.

One of the few original ideas in this remake is that a plot point is introduced that Freddy Kruger was actually innocent of his crimes and then murdered. Which is why he seeks revenge Now, That would Have been actually interesting and give the film a different spin. It is quickly cast aside and thrown away with him definitely being guilty and terrorizing the kids still. Just because he is the ultimate evil.

While I enjoyed the original series one of the facts that is quickly forgotten is that this boogeyman that audiences came to favor and cheer in the late80’s and 90’swho seemed to become a mascot for horror films (along with Michael Myers and Jason Voorhies) was a pedophile at heart who influenced horror fans due to his more darkly comical nature and one-liners beginning with the third film A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET: DREAM WARRIORS. My favorite of the original series. I believe that the reason the films tended to go that way, was that instead of trying to keep repeating the formula. It was a new direction making the series a kind of cynical dark comedy and letting the audience in on it. Terrifying them and including them in the action almost like an accomplice as we hope the victims will survive. When really the entertainment of the films were how creative the inevitable kills were going to be.

The one thing I can give this film is it is shot beautifully with great camerawork and style. The rest of the film is horrible as much as Jackie Earl Haley tries, He has big shoes to fill and ultimately fails. Even his make-up looks fake and not scary or graphic as the original. Here he looks like the product of skin grafts.

Freddy says that the human brain will still function well over seven minutes after death. This is actually true, the human brain will function nearly ten minutes after death.

The actors look too old for their roles. Rooney Mara who proved to be the breakout star and a better actress in other films. Here playing the lead seems to have one facial expression and 2 ways of saying her lines. Supposedly She says she hated making this film. One of her first leading roles and it’s easy to see why.

While the kills are inventive. If you’ve seen the original while slightly different you wonder why bother. Even if you haven’t seen the original it feels like an assembly line gruesome studio horror film with more emphasis on effects and violence. Rather than story or characters. This film makes the remake of Friday the 13th look like a classic. I’ll admit when first announced I was interested in how it would be done. Then there i sat Watching this horror in horror not in the good way. Jackie Earle Haley would often improvise his lines on the set, feeling this might help unease his other cast members if they didn't know what line he was going to say.

Billy Bob Thornton was actually considered to play Freddy Kruger in this film. Which Would have been an interesting and more inspired choice.

Freddy's voice was digitally altered in post production in an effort to give his voice a "supernatural quality".

This film is soulless. It feels like the Selling out of something that was independent at heart or a bad remake of a great foreign film. Where the filmmakers miss the point. The film only has 5 deaths.

The teens in this film don’t seem like teenagers, but more like younger siblings of their parents. It’s a shame to see so many character actors slumming in this film, but a job. They all deserve better.

GRADE: F