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Saw it. Yes, I know I was warned but I HAD to see it just because i've never seen an Elm Street picture in the cinema. Definitely a weak and tedious remake, not that it was a big surprise. The characterisation is non existant to say the least. Hell, besides maybe Nancy, you don't get to know any of the characters. The original Nightmare On Elm Street didn't have the most complex of characters, but at least you knew what each stood for.
Tina's boyfriend in the original was clearly an alpha male. A bit of an aggressive jerk who liked sex and a hint of a sensitive side. In this this one I had no idea what type of guy he was. Was he a sensitive soul? A prankster, an alpha male what?
The biggest frustration for me, I think, was the lack surrealism, probably my favourite aspect about the Nightmare films. Given the potential to experiment and come up with something creative in this area, probably the only area the remake had a chance of surpassing the original, the sequences are rather dull and unimaginative. Oh, we are in the dream world, heres a corridor that leads to a nursery.
And, you know, I really like JEL, but you guys were right, he was definitely channelling Rorschach in his portrayal, which just doesn't feel fresh given Watchmen only came out a year ago. He does have his moments though, and under a more credible and skillful director, I feel his Freddy could have definitely been even more frightening than Bob Englund's. One thing I liked about Haley's interpretation over Englund's was the sense of bitterness and resentment towards his victims. There definitely are moments, particularly with Kyle Reese's ordeal where he is effective. But overall it's a case of a cliched deep voice going 'ha ha ha' most of the time.
I felt the film's ending was probably the best part, particularly the parting shot, though it's let down by some atrocious CGI.
Weak ass remake.
** out of *****