Freddy Krueger is back in a remake of the hugely successful Nightmare on Elm Street that first hit screens in 1984.  All the clichés of a horror flick are still here where we see each of the main characters slowly knocked off. In fact the entire premise of the film appears to be waiting for and finally witnessing each character’s untimely yet predictable death as it becomes near impossible to stay awake continuously. For a select unfortunate bunch of teens, Freddy targets them in their sleep so when they finally drift off into oblivion, their dreams become a nightmare as Freddy uses those infamous garden shear fingers to slice and dice each victim.

The film doesn’t break any barriers, or attempt to try anything different. It is your standard slasher film where one has the occasional desire to have a bit of a laugh when the plot gets a little ridiculous. In fact the remake is pretty much identical to the original including the dark secret the parents are keeping from their children with the exception that Freddy has gone from being a child murderer to a child molester, which is disturbing and just seems a bit misplaced in the general tone of the film.

The original was successful because it made such a significant impact on the horror genre but this film makes no such impact. Though it’s entertaining and plays with suspense so your nerves are on edge, you’d think after 26 years we could expect just a little bit more.

Kryztoff Rating  2.5K