Movie Review - A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)

So, I’m thinking remakes right now and it got me thinking about “A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)”. I have to admit, I was excited to see this one, not much into remakes but I was curious. Well, within the first 20 minutes, I regretted watching this flick. I decided to follow through to see if it got better or worse. I did make it through to the end clenching my teeth. It was worse than I anticipated. The original 1984 version was perfect and didn’t need a ‘reboot’.

In most cases remakes tend to ‘borrow’ elements from the original but this movie stole scenes directly from the original concept. Now, the story line did sway from the original 1984 movie and it definitely was unique but the set up was too sloppy. The look and feel of this movie was not scary at all; it had some cheap thrills here and there but was not even close to the same caliber that the 1984 movie left us craving for more. The “Halloween” (2007) remake was better in this regard and was a true ‘reboot’ of the franchise.

The acting overall was so-so, nothing special. The usual you would expect from teens that are self absorbed these days. It’s funny how the times have changed and it’s evident with the use of computers-internet and cell phones as play into the picture. The only performance worthy was that of Jackie Earle Haley (Freddy Krueger). He made Freddy his own. If I could compare his performance though, I would say it was like watching Val Kilmer acting out Batman. So well, that might be better than George Clooney it’s not even close to Michael Keaton –if you know what I mean. The costume design was the same but the make up effects on Freddy’s face wasn’t ‘scary’ looking. To put it plainly, for such a main character –he was dull.

I would not recommend viewing this movie; it would be a waste of time. I would however recommend watching the sequel to see if they resolved their mistakes. Remakes mean that it has potential to suck the minute it hits the theatres but it doesn’t always have to be this way. I did keep an open mind and was raped, so I rate this movie 3/10. I’m very disappointed that it lacked on so many levels and should I have paid to go to the theatre, I would have demanded for my money back!