A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master.

Review #745: A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master.

Cast
Robert Englund (Freddy Krueger), Lisa Wilcox (Alice Johnson), Danny Hassel (Dan Jordan), Brooke Theiss (Debbie Stevens), Andras Jones (Rick Johnson), Tuesday Knight (Kristen Parker), Toy Newkirk (Sheila Kopecky), Rodney Eastman (Joey Peterson), and Ken Sagoes (Roland Kincaid) Directed by Renny Harlin (#016 - Die Hard and #670 - Cliffhanger)

Review
I've talked about the previous three films (#474, #476, #649) before, which had varied in their level of enjoyment, though the original still shines over the first two. With this film, the statement is still true, though at least Freddy's Revenge still retains its title of being the lesser of the four movies (the remake doesn't count). It's funny how the three survivors from the last film are killed off in the first 30 (or so) minutes, which is disappointing, but oh well, I guess these new characters aren't too bad. Regardless of that, if you liked Dream Warriors, you'll probably like this one as well, mainly due to it being enjoyable. Once again, Englund steals the show, managing to be creepy but also entertaining to a degree. Wilcox's character gradually becomes more interesting, pretty much after people start dying off. The other characters (save for Dan) have one main characteristic that defines them (like the one who is smart, but also has asthma...which is all you get to know, basically), which naturally is used against them, but their abilities (like being a martial arts specialist) gets passed on to Alice, which is somewhat interesting. I guess being the "Dream Master" means she can transfer what she wears in the awake world to the dream world. Really, the only reason Freddy keeps targeting the others (the ones who aren't the kids of the parents that burned Freddy originally, with the movie noting that Kristen is the last sibling) is because of Kristen bringing in Alice. The movie keeps a good pace, while also managing to have some scares along with some good effects. It's a decent sequel that manages to not go quite off the rails.

Countdown to 750 Reviews: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5...

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors.

Review #649: A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors.

Cast
Heather Langenkamp (Dr. Nancy Thompson), Patricia Arquette (Kristen Parker), Robert Englund (Freddy Krueger), Craig Wasson (Dr. Neil Gordon), Ken Sagoes (Roland Kincaid), Jennifer Rubin (Taryn White), Bradley Gregg (Phillip Anderson), Ira Heiden (Will Stanton), Laurence Fishburne (Max Daniels), John Saxon (Donald Thompson), Rodney Eastman (Joey Crusel), and Penelope Sudrow (Jennifer Caulfield) Directed by Chuck Russell (#157 - The Mask)

Review
I described the second movie (Freddy's Revenge) as "a mismatch of random ideas that spring into a less than mediocre horror film." With that in mind, the third film can't be as bad because Langenkamp returns to the series, and she does a pretty good job once again, she doesn't get on your nerves (like the doctors in this movie), and she's not annoying, like some of the characters, such as the doctors (save for Wasson and Fishburne), who just keep believing that the dreams aren't killing them, despite two of them dying, because apparently none of the doctors have ever heard of Freddy Krueger. At least the actors are pretty good, Arquette is a pretty decent co-lead, though for me one of my favorite actors that return is John Saxon. He doesn't get too much screen time, but he is awesome to watch, for me it's his expressions and how he reacts to all of this, Saxon is just so cool to watch. The effects are pretty good, although for some reason my favorite scene is when Dick Cavett (in the strangest cameo for a horror movie I've seen in a while) suddenly turns into Kreuger while interviewing Zsa Zsa Gabor (2nd strangest cameo), which segues into one of the kids' deaths, which is a cool scene as well. The fact that Wes Craven returns to help write the screenplay is also a big help, and Russell does a pretty good job directing, I like how Kreuger is given something new to do, and Englund excels at that. The movie is not near the first's level of scares, but it's better than the second film and it's entertaining enough for October, or as I call it, Spooktober. Check it out, and have some fun-I mean fright.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.