A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET
RYAN: The 2010 remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street is here, and it’s not better than the original.
CAROLINE: Having never seen the original, I cannot draw a comparison; but as predicted, I did not enjoy this movie. The only thing that makes it a tiny bit worthwhile is Jackie Earle Haley as Freddy Krueger.
RYAN: He’s phenomenal. He was so great in Little Children and then Shutter Island earlier this year. I’m glad of his career renaissance.
CAROLINE: He’s really cornered the market on playing the creepy guy, hasn’t he? His voice is amazingly scary, and honestly, his looks are pretty freaky in this movie even before he becomes a burn victim. But aside from his great acting, this is really just a B-movie.
RYAN: I remember really liking the original when I was young. It’s really more campy than scary. This movie also has some very cheesy lines, which definitely cuts down on the fear factor. I would have preferred it to be a little more serious and scary.
CAROLINE: There are so many loose ends in this movie and major plot points that go undiscussed. I mean, why is no one in the town talking about how all the teenagers are getting murdered? Not that I needed intricate plot development, but it doesn’t transition smoothly from scene to scene. It just felt like a series of murders. I did appreciate that it was only 90 minutes though.
RYAN: I loved that they kept the original character of Nancy as the lead, though the girl who played her was kind of a weird actress.
CAROLINE: I didn’t think she was that great. I never felt any real tension or drama from her.
RYAN: Interestingly, she got prettier to me as the film went on. She was so awkward at the beginning, but by the end, I was like, “Hello, Angelina Jolie’s sister!” Also, I liked that they kept some of the original scenarios from the first movie, like Freddy stretching through the wall, and that girl getting lifted and thrown around the her bedroom.
CAROLINE: Aren’t the effects so much better now than they were?
RYAN: Actually, they were still pretty good back then, as I remember. But I was young.
CAROLINE: I had the same feeling during this movie that I had with Paranormal Activity last year; we know the bad stuff happens at night when they’re dreaming, so basically you’re just anticipating the next nightfall in every scene and wondering what horrible thing will happen next. I should have been tense and on edge for the whole movie, and I wasn’t. Honestly, it didn’t really scare me except for once or twice; and I’m usually a big baby about these things.
RYAN: I still like the premise of this movie and I think it still works. The beginning of the movie was shot very creatively and well, but the second half seemed slapped together. The more it went on, the less impressed I was.
CAROLINE: None of the cast of kids is particularly famous, though there is Kellan Lutz in the Drew Barrymore from Scream role.
RYAN: It also has a girl from TV’s Melrose Place, and that dude from Jennifer’s Body who wore a lot of eyeliner. He’s got a much bigger role in this though, and he’s pretty good.
— BOTTOM LINE —
CAROLINE: I didn’t care much for this movie. If Jackie Earle Haley weren’t in it, it would have been a complete waste of time. It didn’t flow well, and the plot was flimsy. There were a couple of decent scares, but nothing good enough to make this worth seeing.
RYAN: I liked it more than you did, though I didn’t love it either. They definitely lost me about halfway through. You start to not care as much in the second half. It is nostalgic to see these old characters, but it’s not better than the original.
— RATING —
