After a somewhat muddled entrance into the series, my patience had already snapped with Freddy Krueger. Instead of finding him a scary demon that haunted my nightmares, I found him to be a shuffling annoyance that plagued my weekend plans. Frankly, he just didn’t seem all that scary, and my first two encounters with this series birthed by Wes Craven were particularly underwhelming. I see now that the first two in the series were palette cleansers, merely to whet the appetite of audiences who would be truly terrified, moved and distressed by what A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors had to offer.
It’s amazing to think that the man who directed The Scorpion King could have made something so horrifying and stomach-churning. A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors isn’t just a competent entrance into the series, but it’s perhaps the best of all. Far exceeding the original in both style and execution, director Chuck Russell collides Heather Langenkamp with Patricia Arquette on her big-screen debut. With Langenkamp’s return to the screen and Craven penning the script, the film feels like a passing of the torch, a farewell to what made the first film so engaging and memorable.
For the most part, the film pulls this off without a hitch. Langenkamp’s return in a supporting capacity is well performed, utilised strongly and is a great performance on the whole. She plays well with new members of the cast, whilst also receiving her fair share of moments with Robert Englund’s return as Freddy Krueger. A great mixture of creativity and horror is on display throughout this one, with Englund possessing in him some superb one-liners and a consistent dedication to the role that elevates Krueger above 80s icon and into something genuinely rather terrifying. That leg-up is the make or break moment for the series, whether or not Krueger can be more than a comical pop culture reference, and thankfully Englund is up to the task with this iteration being the best by a mile.
With a truly scary antagonist and a palatable, dare I say it, even likeable, leading cast, it all comes down to how the direction fares. Russell brings his A-game here, blending some excellent camera-work into some gruesome set and costume designs. He pushes the boundaries of what the series has to offer, honing in on Craven’s writing abilities in nearly every scene. Expectedly gory, but with some real heart and soul put into it, rather than feeling aimless it feels warranted and generally impressive. What surprises me most is how well the film has dated, and for all those expecting some cheap, now laughably bad special effects, you’ll have to look elsewhere.
By far the most horrific part of the series so far, so well balanced between the horror and writing. A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors is a rare example of a third entry into the series is the best of the bunch. There are a limited few examples of where the third film is best, but it surprises me that A Nightmare on Elm Street is one such franchise to pull it off. Something for everyone in this one, with gory kills, excellent character development that blends seamlessly with new and old faces combining their forces to take on the knitted jumper nightmare fiend. A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors is the high point, and it’s all downhill from here.
