Classic Remakes
Admittedly I have never been a fan of horror film remakes, simply because they do no justice to the originals. Classic horror icons such as Jason Voorhees or Michael Myers need a specific screen presence and convincing atmosphere to have that fear inducing impact. Unfortunately whenever some bright spark decides to resurrect them for remakes or long winded sequels, the results are often cheesy and boring.
So imagine my surprise when I watched a trailer for A Nightmare on Elm Street last month and did not feel even remotely dubious or tetchy. But admittedly doubt still lingered as I thought to myself the best bits were probably those just seen in the trailer…
Fast forward to about a week and a half ago when I ventured to the cinema to tend to my curiosity. As I settled into my seat, wishing a character from such a horror film would come deal with the squeaky teens sat behind me launching popcorn across the row, I felt prepared for what I was about to see. I mean I had seen the original countless times so I was confident this film would be very generic.
How wrong I was. To say I was pleasantly surprised would be an understatement. I was very impressed with the result, I may even go as far to say I was blown away by it. The effects were spectacular with director Samuel Bayer taking full advantage of modern day special effects to create brilliant adaptations of both Freddie and his world. The dream sequences still hold true to the original film but are presented much more dramatically and look so real you could reach out and almost feel them.
The acting too was above par, especially the roles of Nancy and Freddie. Freddie Kruger is played much darker in this version by Jackie Earle Haley, whose presence on screen fits Freddie well. Whilst I am still loyal to Robert Englund’s original portrayal, credit has to go to Haley who manages a very convincing modern Freddie. The costume for him is also brilliant with his burns taking on a more life like appearance, adding to his foreboding image.
The character of Nancy is also played well by Ronney Mara who manages to pull off her down to earth, logical thinking. When the film first begins the primary character followed is Kris: the typical ditsy blonde who is the type of character you just want to die. Whether this was intentional or not does not matter as her demise paves the way for Nancy to step in. Thank God.
Whilst I am still loyal to original versions of films, as most remakes tend to pale in comparison, once in a blue moon one does take me by surprise. This is definitely one of them. It remains loyal to Wes Craven’s original story and vision whilst still managing to add a unique take on the film itself. An added bonus too was that it managed to make me jump on more than one occasion.
