Well, if Wes Craven doesn’t really like it, I don’t have to either right?
A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)
Directed By: Samuel Bayer
The Prologue
So I guess I could no longer avoid the remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street huh? Lord know I tried and I tried, but with the year coming to and end, and this being a 2010 movie, I just had to watch it. Now don’t get me wrong, I went into this with low expectations. I think the original was an easy 10 out of 10, and I knew there was no way this would match that. I was just really hoping the history of Wes Craven films having very good to OK remakes of his films would hold up with this, this being the remake of the man’s biggest and most popular film ever and all. So I hoped for the best and expected the worse..And what did I find? Average…at best.
The Movie
Ok..sooo I guess I need to add a plot for anyone who’s been living under a rock and doesn’t know right? Some kids start having the same dream about a man with claws and a cool sweater named Freddy. Unfortunately for all of them they start getting killed while in their dreams by this man, and nobody seems to believe it. Of course, this all leads to something that the kid’s parents have been keeping from them all this time so it’s up to two teens, Nancy and Quentin (yawn), to try to figure it all out before it’s too late!!
I won’t pussy-foot around here, I didn’t think this movie was mind numbingly bad, I just think it’s a lame ass remake. On it’s own, perhaps in a world where the original doesn’t exist this movie might be a lot better off, but that’s not the case. You can’t get away from comparing this to the pretty much perfect original. The thing is, this movie does touch on all the things we liked about the original, but it does them in less effective and less cool ways. And when it’s not doing that it’s using those same methods that every single theater released horror film has these days. Someone looks in a mirror and we wait for someone to be there, but oh wait, they aren’t there??..Wait for it..wait for it…OH THERE THEY ARE!!..Oh my how many movies have used those ways of building up tension in today’s horror world?..The answer is, a lot.
Now let’s get to the characters shall we? Remember how awesome and smart Nancy was before? That’s gone my friends, it’s not here at all. In the place of the strong and smart character that was the original Nancy is a “emo-ish” girl who loves art and just doesn’t fit in. Pretty much the same lead we get in our final girls in every films now days. Nancy before didn’t have to be different, she was just normal and it worked. This girl acts as if she hasn’t smiled in about ten years and by the looks of the guy who plays her love interest you’d think they were trying to go for the whole Twilight thing. That’s right, the Twilight thing in a Nightmare on Elm Street movie..Try to wrap your head around that one. Oh, have I mentioned that the other characters that aren’t around that long are better characters than Nancy and her love interest, Quentin? Yeah, the character of Kris comes across way more likable and normal than Nancy…Shame she’s not the lead.
Another thing this movie does wrong is it just lacks the creepy feeling that the movie should have had. Now I’ll admit, for once, that the CGI works great for the dream sequences, in a setting like this, the the CGI fits. I believe that may be the only thing I really liked about this movie, BUT (and yes we have a but) even with the CGI working for the dreams, the dreams just lack that eerie feel that I always felt the original had. If I had to point out anything else that I actually liked about the movie it would probably be the fact it does introduce more facts about insomnia and that you can actually have quick naps without even knowing you’re asleep if you go too long without rest. That right there adds at least a good new element to the plot, be it not enough to save things as a whole.
And I guess you guys want to know how I feel about Jackie Earle Haley? Well, don’t get me wrong, I’m a fan of his. I loved him in Watchmen, and I think he’s for sure creepy. But for me, he just doesn’t seem like Freddy. I know there’s a few of you that are probably saying, “Oh, come on, Chuck! You can’t get over the original enough to give this a fair shake!!”. Well, welcome to the reality remakes have to face. I’m all for remaking movies that kinda sucked, but the original was perfect. Freddy was perfect, but there’s not really anything at all that I find perfect about this movie. Sure, it’s OK , I guess..But even if one takes the original out of the equation, you’re just left with a film that’s average at best. Typical Hollywood horror here my friends, could have easily been PG-13 if they had wanted it to, there’s just no edge to it.
The Conclusion
I think I’d compare watching this movie to walking in on someone who had just drugged the person you loved, and is having their way with their motionless body. That’s how it felt while watching this one for me. I’m a big Friday the 13th fan, and even that remake seemed more passable than this by far. While Friday pretty much re-did the old format but added in some over the top stuff, this movie just does everything like everything else and brings the cool concept of A Nightmare on Elm Street down to the level of everything else that’s out there..I’d just skip it if you really love the original.
The Rating (5.5/10)
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