“RETURN OF THE FEAR”
Starring: Jackie Earle Haley, Rooney Mara, Kyle Gallner, Katie Cassidy, Thomas Dekker, and Kellan Lutz.
Directed by: Samuel Bayer
MPAA Rating: rated R for strong bloody horror violence, disturbing images, terror and language.
Genre: Horror/Remake
Release date: April 30, 2010
By John Delia
Well they remade another horror flick and this time it’s A Nightmare on Elm Street. Since the advent of CGI it’s been a scare fest of returns like Jason, Michael Meyers, Leatherface, Amityville and more. But, this Nightmare is a welcome rehash as it provides more of the story of why Freddy is invading the dreams of teens on the forsaken street.
The main plot has not changed from the 1984 version. Teens start dreaming of a horribly burned man in a red and green striped sweater and an Indiana Jones hat who tries to attach them with razor sharp finger knives while they are sleep. Fraught with fear the teens try desperately to stay awake. When they start getting murdered one by one, Nancy (Mara) gets a clue to the root of the killings and fights back.
Horror fans should be flocking to the theatres on release date pushing box office numbers through the ceiling. The horror in the original release was nothing like this. Yes, the first Nightmare did have more tension, but not the realism in this one that makes it a lot scarier. Blood, guts and head severing abound with close-up cinematography that will either appall, disgust or make you through-up. From opening scene to a final thrust of Freddy’s knife fingered hand, the bloodletting goes on.
I would be remiss if I didn’t applaud the writers for adding in a series of scenes showing Freddy’s suspected crime and why he was killing the teens. It made for a better film
than the 1984 story that made the audience try to figure it out on their own. Kudos to director Samuel Bayer for using excellent lighting and cinematography that created the unsettling mood within the movie.
Well although this production is technically better than the first go around, I missed the campy feeling that made the film a classic. So I picked up the Blu-ray of A Nightmare on Elm Street and relived the terrore one more time. It was cool seeing the old cars, clothing, hairstyles and other memories of the past. But, then there was Johnny Depp being pulled through the bed and Robert Englund breathing deeply and sliding his blades across the steel with sparks flying, a terrifying vision that’s not easy to forget.
The film is rated R for strong bloody horror violence, disturbing images, terror and language. Not to mention the brutality and drugs.
FINAL ANALYSIS: Technically a better remake and that’s a good thing. (3.5 of 5 Palm Trees)