Platinum Dunes revives the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise with this reworking of slasher film legend Freddy Krueger, a deceased child killer who torments the dreams of the teenagers of Springwood, OH. Jackie Earle Haley picks up the killer's mantle from series veteran Robert Englund with the reboot from music-video director Samuel Bayer. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
Director: Samuel Bayer
Cast: Jackie Earle Haley, Kyle Gallner, Rooney Mara, Katie Cassidy, Thomas Dekker.
Release Date: Apr 30, 2010 Rated R for violence, disturbing images and some sexuality
Runtime: 1 hr. 35 min.
Genres: Horror
Review:
The recent trends of remakes are very much like getting airline versions of your favorite meal. It’s got all the hallmarks of the meal but isn’t anywhere close to the real thing. This Nightmare redux doesn’t break this trend. It’s a terribly limp uninteresting chore of a film that doesn’t bring anything new to the table outside of a few interesting nightmare sequences. Video director turned movie director Samuel Bayer has glossy and occasionally interesting style but he’s far too dependant on jump scares. The script is a tedious bore. The characters are all pencil thin types who don’t have any depth to them at all. Freddy’s back story has been slightly redone throwing a minor twist to the story that could have been interesting if explored but it’s thrown in and dismissed quickly and haphazardly. Jackie Earle Haley does a decent job of taking up the reins from Robert Englund. Haley brings his general creepiness to the role and is much more forceful and direct than the original. He tries his best with what he’s given but in all honesty it isn’t much. Rooney Mara is pretty much invisible as emo Nancy and Kyle Gallner is terminally mopey throughout. Katie Caassidy, Kellan Lutz and Thomas Dekker are this film for a cup of coffee and are gone quickly. Clany Brown and Connie Britton both are saddled with underwritten characters and are wasted. The finale doesn’t offer much outside of paint by the number sequences which, if you’re still awake, leaves you feeling disappointed.
D
