Reel2Real TV

Usually a horror fan like myself has a list of top three slasher movie killers. Just so you know, here's how mine stacks up: 3. Jason 2. Freddy 1. Michael Myers

Now that that's out of the way, let's dig in, shall we? I honestly believe that this is the first remake to come out of all this remake crud in Hollywood that seems to respect the material that was in the original. Most of the fanboys, including myself, will tell you that the original 1984 film is still the best version. But can you really imagine us saying anything else? Even if the remake was a 10 out of 10 we'd still hold on to the original as tops. So let's start from there then.

The new Nightmare has a new Freddy, and man is he creepy. Jackie Earle Haley knocks it out of the park on this one. Not only does he manage to make Freddy actually scary again (as he was in the original) he adds his own touch to it without demeaning all of the amazing work done by Robert Englund (the original Kreuger).

I think the key to this film was realism, believe it or not. The teens aren't overly beautified. They seem like real teens. That said, their characters could've used some beefing up a bit. They do film sort of one dimensional, but not like those in a later installment of a Friday the 13th.

There are some nice scenes derived from classic ones in the original with a spin. The director has done a nice job here, it's really the script that needed a little work. Visually the film is a blast.

I'm giving this one a 5 out of 10. Let's hit the stats.

Language: No more than the original. It's R-rated, but doesn't push it.

Violence: Plenty of it, but not as gory as you'd think.

Sex: None. The classic bath scene gets reinvisioned but no nudity is involved.

Positive Themes: The parents in this film are actually fairly decent people, protecting and loving their kids.

Negative Themes: Child molestation, murder and drug use.

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