A Nightmare On Elm Street Remake
**THIS REVIEW CONTAINS MINOR SPOILERS**
Well, went to the midnight showing of Nightmare On Elm Street starring Rorschach last night.
If you guys didn't know, I'm a huge Freddy Krueger fan. I met Robert Englund a few years back, got some autographs from him, and even purchased a metal Freddy Krueger glove. So, what did I think of this new movie?
Well, to start off, some bad points. Yes, Freddy DID sound a lot like Rorschach. Yes, the makeup WAS different. It looked a little silly, but it did look quite a bit like an actual burn victim would, as opposed to melty pizza-face Krueger we had in the past. Yes, the teenagers were a little dull. Luckily, many of the less interesting characters were dead 30 minutes into the film. And yes, CGI was used to death.
Now, on to the good. Mainly, Freddy himself; he was a badass. No longer do we have silly, one-liner, cartoon Krueger. This Freddy was cold, he was deliberate, and he was out to get shit done. He didn't piss around. If he was on screen, you were either gonna get the shit kicked out of you, or you were dead. He DID pop a few jokes here and there, but they were never silly. They always felt cold, taunting, and politically incorrect. The new actor's swagger fit the role perfectly, and he even added his own style, rubbing his claws together rapidly as he stalked his prey.
The movie stuck to the basic aesthetic of the original. The stereotypical, white suburban neighborhood and the dark, grungy, hellish boiler room. However, lots of visual flair was added, and every set was well designed, interesting, and usually had a fitting color palette. The music had a very similar sound to the original, without stealing the theme itself (though they did play it on the New Line Cinema logo). And yes, the iconic "1, 2, Freddy's coming for you" was present.
The story was modified, but nothing too drastic. The character's backstory remained relatively unchanged, with more depth added and nothing substantial removed. They delved deeper into the mechanics of sleep deprivation more thoroughly than they have in the past, explaining how insomniacs experience "micronaps", short lapses in consciousness, as the brain tries to recharge. This made for some very exciting buildup in the story's later act, Freddy popping in and out of existence at random, keeping both the characters and the audience on their toes. The story for the teenagers was completely reworked, the only reference to the original being the female lead character's name, Nancy.
Speaking of the original, there were several homages to the classic series of movies. From special effects, to dialouge, to even entire death scenes recreated from past Nightmare On Elm Street movies. Rest assured though, the film makers had their own creative ideas of what Freddy was capable of, and it was refreshing to see some new mind-fuckery being explored with a character who has seemingly limitless potential to distort reality.
All in all, I give this movie an 8.5 out of 10. It was enjoyable cinema, and while heavy on the CGI in spots, it was an excellent reboot to the series and worthy of standing along side the classic Nightmare On Elm Street films.
Well, went to the midnight showing of Nightmare On Elm Street starring Rorschach last night.
If you guys didn't know, I'm a huge Freddy Krueger fan. I met Robert Englund a few years back, got some autographs from him, and even purchased a metal Freddy Krueger glove. So, what did I think of this new movie?
Well, to start off, some bad points. Yes, Freddy DID sound a lot like Rorschach. Yes, the makeup WAS different. It looked a little silly, but it did look quite a bit like an actual burn victim would, as opposed to melty pizza-face Krueger we had in the past. Yes, the teenagers were a little dull. Luckily, many of the less interesting characters were dead 30 minutes into the film. And yes, CGI was used to death.
Now, on to the good. Mainly, Freddy himself; he was a badass. No longer do we have silly, one-liner, cartoon Krueger. This Freddy was cold, he was deliberate, and he was out to get shit done. He didn't piss around. If he was on screen, you were either gonna get the shit kicked out of you, or you were dead. He DID pop a few jokes here and there, but they were never silly. They always felt cold, taunting, and politically incorrect. The new actor's swagger fit the role perfectly, and he even added his own style, rubbing his claws together rapidly as he stalked his prey.
The movie stuck to the basic aesthetic of the original. The stereotypical, white suburban neighborhood and the dark, grungy, hellish boiler room. However, lots of visual flair was added, and every set was well designed, interesting, and usually had a fitting color palette. The music had a very similar sound to the original, without stealing the theme itself (though they did play it on the New Line Cinema logo). And yes, the iconic "1, 2, Freddy's coming for you" was present.
The story was modified, but nothing too drastic. The character's backstory remained relatively unchanged, with more depth added and nothing substantial removed. They delved deeper into the mechanics of sleep deprivation more thoroughly than they have in the past, explaining how insomniacs experience "micronaps", short lapses in consciousness, as the brain tries to recharge. This made for some very exciting buildup in the story's later act, Freddy popping in and out of existence at random, keeping both the characters and the audience on their toes. The story for the teenagers was completely reworked, the only reference to the original being the female lead character's name, Nancy.
Speaking of the original, there were several homages to the classic series of movies. From special effects, to dialouge, to even entire death scenes recreated from past Nightmare On Elm Street movies. Rest assured though, the film makers had their own creative ideas of what Freddy was capable of, and it was refreshing to see some new mind-fuckery being explored with a character who has seemingly limitless potential to distort reality.
All in all, I give this movie an 8.5 out of 10. It was enjoyable cinema, and while heavy on the CGI in spots, it was an excellent reboot to the series and worthy of standing along side the classic Nightmare On Elm Street films.