So much fun this one is. A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors is among my favorite horror films of all time simply because I have a blast every time I watch it. That is probably poor film criticism but I don’t really care. Nightmare 3 brings back Heather Langenkamp in the Nancy Thompson role and in one of her first starring roles Patricia Arquette. They lead this films cast of solid actors playing the nightmare stricken teens. The film itself takes place in a mental hospital for teens. They are all sleep deprived and once again Freddy Kruger has shown up. Nancy Thompson our protagonist in the first Nightmare on Elm Street film is back in the same role this time as a sort of doctor who knows more about the dreams than anyone else.

This is the first Nightmare on Elm Street film to take a more campy role. The first 2 Elm Street films legitimately tried to create horrific tone and settings this one is more in the camp or cheese genre’s of horror which is fine by me. The film takes a similar plot to Nightmare 1 however, this time there is more of a dream battleground with supernatural powers. Our teens each have their own problems with drug addiction, paralysis and being mute. Each one of them uses their own unique set of circumstances to become strong “dream-warriors” hence the title. The idea alone is super cheesy and would probably be laughed at today but in the 80′s it worked.

The film itself uses a great amount of special effects and Hollywood mechanisms that are apparent in most studio pictures. This is the first Nightmare film that feels like a studio picture the first two almost had an independent feel to them with this one having more of a hired hand feeling. It’s certainly not a great film on paper and some may even hate it today but I personally feel that Nightmare 3 is among the best horror sequels ever made because it’s so damn fun. From the one-liner’s Freddy spouts out every five minutes to the absurd plot movements the film stays interesting. Some have called Nightmare 3 bloated and unmemorable but I think it’s a good film.

I mostly feel the way about Nightmare 3 because they basically took everything they could think of and put it in this film. It’s silly and oftentimes eye-rolling bad but it’s so much fun for a horror fan of the Nightmare series. They took everything but the kitchen sink and made this horror film. It’s very easy to see why this film has attained a sort of cult following. Everyone who is a fan of the series could tell you about “Welcome to Prime Time Bitch!” or “What a Rush!” They are so iconic in this series.

The film itself is not very horrifying so you could say in one aspect it’s a failure as a horror film. I disagree though because in horror you can have camp and cheese and it can still be an enjoyable experience how else can you explain how some horror films became so popular. Horror has often been a bastard child of filmmaking because of films like this but I love them with all my heart. This film review itself is almost a more personal review than any actual film criticism but it’s truly one of my favorites. People will probably be mixed on this one when they see it. It’s truly a love-hate film.

A Nightmare on Elm Street Series Ranked

1. A Nightmare on Elm Street- 9.5
2. A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors- 8
3. A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge- 4
   

My next review will be either A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master or the Coffin Joe film, At Midnight I’ll Take Your Soul.

~ by resdog55 on May 3, 2010.