At the Movies with Fatwayne

Heeeee’s back! Yes, our old friend Freddy Krueger is back on the big screen terrorizing teenagers as usual. This time he is played by Jackie Earle Haley with little noticeable difference from the same portrayal by Robert Englund. Fear not, Freddy is still just as murderous and creepy in this latest version. To be honest, it has the same feel and thrust as the other eight versions in this franchise. You sit there with the feeling that you have been here many times before despite the variances that this newest script has to offer.

In Freddy’s latest outing we learn why he is back and reeking his vengeance on this latest gang of hapless teens. It seems that old Fred was somewhat of a pervert who took advantage of young kids at a preschool where he was employed as a gardener. Eventually, the parents of these kids discovered what he was up to and took justice into their own hands with Freddy being burned alive. After this event, the parents all agreed to keep their crime a secret from everyone including their children.

Now the kids are in high school but do not recognize each other from their preschool days. You know what happens next — we all do! One by one they start to have horrible dreams and become afraid to fall asleep for fear of being murdered by Freddy. And so, one by one they meet their fate at Krueger’s hand (or metal claws).

So you may ask, just how does Freddy get dispatched this time around? Nancy Holbrook (Rooney Mara) falls to sleep and is about to be killed by Freddy but, lucky for her, she is awakened by her friend Quentin O’Grady (Kyle Gallner). As she is returning from the dream world to reality she manages to tear off a piece of Krueger’s ratty old sweater. She now realizes that if might be possible to pull Freddy himself back into reality which would render him vulnerable to harm. And that is how Freddy Krueger meets his destiny this time around.

This theme has been done so many times before that it is almost impossible to remain creative. We still have the stretching wallpaper and the sinking bed/mattress. There is very little new to offer but if you feel that you can not get enough of Freddy Krueger than, by all means, go to see this “nightmare”!

By the way, you may expect a sequel and maybe even two to follow. Haley and Mara are both contracted already. Oh, my!

Rated  – R  -

Quotes from A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)

Fatwayne’s Rating   -      -