Cast: Jackie Earle Haley, Kyle Gallner, Rooney Mara, Katie Cassidey; Director: Samuel Bayer; Producers: Michael Bay, Andrew Form, Bradley Fuller; Screenwriters: Wesley Strick, Eric Heisserer; Music: Steve Jablonsky; Editor: Glen Scantlebury; Genre: Horror/ Thriller/ Fantasy: Cinematography: Jeff Cutter; Distributor: New Line Cinema; Location: USA; Running Time: 95 mins;Technical Assessment: 3
Moral Assessment: 2.5
CINEMA Rating: For viewers 14 and above
Freddy Kruger returns from 1984’s very first A Nightmare on Elm Street series but this time with less humor and a darker past. The movie follows the original plot with a few new twists as Nancy (Rooney Mara) and her friend Quintin (Kyle Gallner) discover that they, and the rest of their murdered friends, shared the same pre-school where Freddy Kruger (Jackie Earle Haley) was the gardener. Apparently, Freddy is accused of molesting or hurting the children and the parents decided to put justice into their hands. And without the benefit of a trial or strong evidence, the parents burn Freddy alive. Meanwhile, Nancy and Quintin, in the attempt to stop Freddy’s revenge, try to pull him out of their dreams so they can kill him in real time.
The concept of a nightmare crossing reality delivered shivers when audience first watched the 1984 original movie. However, this remake pales in comparison to Wes Craven’s original movie. The powerlessness in one’s sleep and the horror that one can be hurt or killed in the embrace of dreams were the reasons the franchise worked for some time. However, the powerlessness of the performances from the screaming teenagers and the dull horror of each sequence will not make this remake work. It is tired and lacks the scream factor expected of this genre. Robert Englund’s Freddy was psychotically funny and creepy. Englund’s one liners and perpetual smirk were almost adorable but Haley’s meaner and more evil version turns Freddy into another ordinary serial killer. Freddy is evil, whether dead or alive, in dreams or reality. At first, one will be led to believe that he is avenging his own fate in the hands of the pre-school parents. But later on, as the entire plot unfolds, we are introduced to an evil creature that hurts and kills just because he can.
The movie is too violent and gory for young audiences; it also deals indirectly, yet despicably, with child abuse and molestation. The victims and the people who punished the wrongdoer are hunted and killed at the end. And more disturbingly, nothing can stop Freddy’s killing rampage. Theme, language and treatment may cause even adults’ stomachs to turn. The film targets teenagers and young adults—people who are usually susceptible to misleading beliefs. There’s a scene where Quintin takes off his necklace and puts it around Nancy’s neck as she sets out to confront the villain, telling her “You’ve got to believe in something.” Although it resembles a cross, and his words hint at faith in superhuman protection, it may be perceived as superstition instead of genuine faith in the divine since nowhere else in the movie is God shown as a loving or even a saving God. In fact, the movie doesn’t even allude to God anywhere and its open ended conclusion even implies the undying power of evil.
