Sometimes, all you can ask for in a sequel is that it not suck.
Let’s face it, most of them do.
The situation is even worse when a Horror classic becomes a series. It is a truism that the more films you make around the same premise, the fewer fresh ideas come to the table. The A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET series is no exception. To say that none of the sequels live up to the original would be a gross understatement. Really, few of them are any good at all. Only one really worked. Only one really delivered as a worthy successor to the original. That film was 1987’s A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 3: DREAM WARRIORS.
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The story takes place 7 years after the events of the original film where a new young woman is tormented by Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) in her sleep. Her name is Kristen Parker (Patricia Arquette) and after a particularly bloody night with Freddy, her mother admits her to the psychiatric ward of the local hospital. There, she encounters Nancy Thompson (Heather Langenkamp), Freddy’s original vanquisher. She also meets 6 other teenagers who dream incessantly about Freddy. The head doctors in the psych ward believe it is simply a case of mass hysteria and constantly prescribe sedation and sleep aids. Nancy, being the only one there who believes the kids, manages to gain the sympathy of a staff doctor named Neil (Craig Wasson) and together they try to come up with a plan to fight Freddy and rid the dream world of him once and for all.
The dismal quality and reception of “A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge” inspired Wes Craven to return to the franchise and help it reclaim its dignity. Craven wrote the film along with Frank Darabont, Bruce Wagner, and Chuck Russell, who would also direct. These writers understood completely that it was the dreamland where all the real possibilities were, so a huge chunk of the action - more so even than the first film - takes place while the characters are asleep. This gives Wes Craven an open sandbox to play in.
And play he does! The set pieces in A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 3: DREAM WARRIORS are fresh, intense, hilarious, and frightening. The first kill of the film (the legendary “puppeteer kill”) is, to this day, one of the most original Horror sequences ever filmed. Put it next to the T.V. kill of Jennifer (Penelope Sudrow) and the Freddy Snake that nearly consumes Kristen, and every set piece after could simply be gravy. However, that is not enough for the likes of Wes Craven, so he gives us more. Set piece after set piece is piled on until the pace becomes almost deliriously fun. Oh, and let’s not forget the theme song by Dokken…
The film finds time for some effective drama while moving the Freddy mythos forward, too. We get a truly disturbing revelation regarding Freddy’s conception. We get some somber, tragic moments with Nancy’s remorseful and now-alcoholic father (John Saxon). We even venture into ghost story a little bit concerning a mysterious nun with knowledge to share.
But as with all of the Freddy films, the film really belongs to the man with the finger-knives. In A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 3: DREAM WARRIORS, you can really feel Robert Englund hitting his stride with the character. In the first film, he was a dark, but largely silent boogyman extraordinaire. In the first sequel, he was a more visible menace - stalking and tempting his prey. In this one, Freddy is the tyrant king of his dream domain. Here, he can indulge every sick, twisted fantasy of his with a heartless glee that is at once terrifying and hilarious. Robert Englund was given a lot of room to develop and improvise and it is in this film that the character of Freddy Krueger takes his full and final form.
When Wes Craven decided to come back to the Freddy franchise, he intended for this film to be the last of the series. Of course, once the film grossed 44+ million at the box office, more sequels were inevitable. The quality of the subsequent films dropped sharply and utterly forgettable Freddy movies followed. Be that as it may, A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 3: DREAM WARRIORS is cool, witty, original, and fun. And sometimes, let’s face it, that’s all you want a movie to be.
Parental Guide: This film is sometimes just silly fun, but there are some intense moments. Keep younger viewers away. 16+
A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 3: DREAM WARRIORS fun facts -
To achieve the effect of the plain clay puppet face turning into Freddy, the puppet began as Freddy’s face then was smoothed over frame by frame then ran in reverse.
When Phillip meets Nancy he calls the hospital the “snake pit“. This was common slang for mental hospitals and also explains the appearance of the “Freddy Snake” that tries to devour Kristen.
At his audition for the role of Kincaid, Ken Sagoes was told to “do whatever you want to do”. So he cursed out director Chuck Russell for keeping him waiting for hours. He was hired on the spot.
The original premise for this film was of Freddy entering the real world to torment the actors and crew connected with the first A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET. It was rejected by New Line Cinema, but was later used in 1994 for NEW NIGHTMARE - universally regarded as the only other good Freddy Krueger film.
Nancy - “His name is Freddy Krueger. He was a child murderer before he died. And after he died he became something worse. “
Kincaid- “Let‘s go kick the motherfucker’s ass all over dreamland.”
Freddy - “This is it, Jennifer! Your big break in T.V.! Welcome to prime-time, bitch!”