Nightmare on Elm Street Remake

"Jackie Earle Haley proves stunningly, rousingly...adequate...for the job. A fine actor who barely registers through the more realistic burn mask and hoarse, processed voice, Haley handles the few passable jokes and imitative finger-knives shtick in the manner we'd hope and expect...

"As a huge fan of the original films, well, most of them, I can say this: I dug the hell out of the Nightmare remake. While the film isn't a departure at all from what we saw in the original, Bayer's Nightmare completely eradicates the camp and cheese that came after Craven's 1984 film. This new one is harsh, it's creepy, and it commits to the characters and the tone. Most importantly though, the film is legitimately creepy with some definite scary moments."

"I told the exit-poll guy FREDDY'S BACK and I meant it. This is how he should have remained, not the comedic "genius" with all the catchy one-liners. He should have remained dark, creepy, unsettling and just damn fu**ing nasty. Jackie did that with his interpretation of Krueger. I liken what he did to what Heath did with the Joker. Sure the last persons to hold the respective mantles of the Joker and Freddy did outstanding jobs that will always stand up there amongst the best, but it takes new blood to truly reinvent the tried-and-true, and that is what I saw ont he big screen last night. Jackie Earl is the Heath Ledger of the NIGHTMARE franchise now."

Haley’s portrayal will no doubt be compared to Robert Englund’s performance. In my eyes, Englund’s was at times a dark presence of pure anger, at other times a bizarre caricature like an carnival barker or angry drunk and pervy uncle. Haley’s portrayal seems to be no nonsense, to the point, smarmy, ugly, repulsive and just plain vile… what you would expect from a child molester and it fits the story. However, the writers don’t let him playfully toy with his prey as much, he simply twists the screws…

Kruger was never a Pinhead or Hannibal when it came to dialog, and I know they were going for a more serious slant this time, but he (Englund’s Freddy) had a confidence that made you know you were f**ked since he had you in his world and Haley works with what he is given.

The set and makeup departments did an excellent job: Freddy looks like a freakish burn victim, many of the dream and flashback scenes are dark and have that ‘Silent Hill’ feel. It’s like they watched a bunch of great horror films for inspiration… but with the sound muted. ANoES’s story, dialog and acting don’t quite match the imagery.

This film is chock-full of heart-stopping jump out and scare you moments… the audience was definitely given some jumps, however it’s overdone and hides the lack of any real horror. The cheap scares become like little Snickers bites in a bag of Halloween candy: a quick jolt but soon forgotten. This would be fine if there were some good psychological horror thrown in, like a juicy steak for a more substantial meal, however all that’s left is a sugar crash....however Freddy is a brutal killer with themes of child molestation.