A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors
3/4
Starring: Patricia Arquette, Heather Langenkamp, Craig Wasson, Robert Englund, Laurence Fishburne
Rated R (for Horror Violence and Gore, Language and a Scene of Sexuality/Nudity)
If nothing else, you have to admit that the idea behind the "Nightmare on Elm Street" franchise is genius: that a person is stalked by a magical serial killer, and if they die in their dreams, they die in real life. The first film took this concept and ran with it, turning it into a horror classic (overrated in my opinion, but chilling nonetheless). The second film, "Freddy's Revenge," tried to subvert this idea with mixed results. The third entry, "Dream Warriors," adds another twist: using Freddy's abilities against him.
Teenagers are killing themselves at alarming rates. Actually, they're being murdered in their sleep by Freddy, but the willfully blind adults don't believe them. That includes Dr. Gordon (Wasson), who is desperate to help his patients. The only one who believes them is the new psychiatrist who specializes in dreams: Nancy Thompson (Langenkamp) herself. She believes that the only way to keep the kids alive is to use an experimental drug to keep them from dreaming. When that doesn't work, she decides to take advantage of Kristen's (Arquette) gift. Kristen can bring people into her dreams, and Nancy decides that that is the key to defeating Freddy once and for all.
What makes this movie work is that it takes its central gimmick seriously. It plays things straight, so to speak. Considering the fantastical nature of the story, it's a daunting task for Chuck Russell, a filmmaker who specializes in visual effects. This was his first film, and he pulls it off. The screenplay is on the thin side, but no one goes to a Freddy Krueger movie and expects David Mamet. They want to see Pizza Face off people in creative ways. On that level, the movie doesn't disappoint, as there are some unique kills. One person's veins turn him into a marionette while another gets her face on TV (literally).
Slasher movies aren't known for deep characterizations, and that hasn't changed here. But the people occupying this movie have a bit more personality than the usual slasher movie fodder, who are usually on hand just to fill body bags. They're worth caring about, which goes a long way in a movie like this. Pre-fame Patricia Arquette and Laurence Fishburne appear, with the former taking the lead while the latter takes a supporting role. Arquette has a great set of lungs (and is constantly reminding us how well she can scream) while Fishburne brings his trademark cool. The rest of the cast is adequate, although Heather Langenkamp has mysteriously forgotten how to act. The spunk and vulnerability that she had in the original is gone here, and in its place is an imposter who can barely speak a word of dialogue convincingly. And once again Robert Englund appears in the role that defined his career.
"A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors" must be evaluated on its own merits. It contains suspense, cool special effects (if gruesome ones) and a solid story that fits into the mythology established by West Craven three years prior. It succeeds on those levels, so it gets a recommendation from me.
Starring: Patricia Arquette, Heather Langenkamp, Craig Wasson, Robert Englund, Laurence Fishburne
Rated R (for Horror Violence and Gore, Language and a Scene of Sexuality/Nudity)
If nothing else, you have to admit that the idea behind the "Nightmare on Elm Street" franchise is genius: that a person is stalked by a magical serial killer, and if they die in their dreams, they die in real life. The first film took this concept and ran with it, turning it into a horror classic (overrated in my opinion, but chilling nonetheless). The second film, "Freddy's Revenge," tried to subvert this idea with mixed results. The third entry, "Dream Warriors," adds another twist: using Freddy's abilities against him.
Teenagers are killing themselves at alarming rates. Actually, they're being murdered in their sleep by Freddy, but the willfully blind adults don't believe them. That includes Dr. Gordon (Wasson), who is desperate to help his patients. The only one who believes them is the new psychiatrist who specializes in dreams: Nancy Thompson (Langenkamp) herself. She believes that the only way to keep the kids alive is to use an experimental drug to keep them from dreaming. When that doesn't work, she decides to take advantage of Kristen's (Arquette) gift. Kristen can bring people into her dreams, and Nancy decides that that is the key to defeating Freddy once and for all.
What makes this movie work is that it takes its central gimmick seriously. It plays things straight, so to speak. Considering the fantastical nature of the story, it's a daunting task for Chuck Russell, a filmmaker who specializes in visual effects. This was his first film, and he pulls it off. The screenplay is on the thin side, but no one goes to a Freddy Krueger movie and expects David Mamet. They want to see Pizza Face off people in creative ways. On that level, the movie doesn't disappoint, as there are some unique kills. One person's veins turn him into a marionette while another gets her face on TV (literally).
Slasher movies aren't known for deep characterizations, and that hasn't changed here. But the people occupying this movie have a bit more personality than the usual slasher movie fodder, who are usually on hand just to fill body bags. They're worth caring about, which goes a long way in a movie like this. Pre-fame Patricia Arquette and Laurence Fishburne appear, with the former taking the lead while the latter takes a supporting role. Arquette has a great set of lungs (and is constantly reminding us how well she can scream) while Fishburne brings his trademark cool. The rest of the cast is adequate, although Heather Langenkamp has mysteriously forgotten how to act. The spunk and vulnerability that she had in the original is gone here, and in its place is an imposter who can barely speak a word of dialogue convincingly. And once again Robert Englund appears in the role that defined his career.
"A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors" must be evaluated on its own merits. It contains suspense, cool special effects (if gruesome ones) and a solid story that fits into the mythology established by West Craven three years prior. It succeeds on those levels, so it gets a recommendation from me.
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