A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge



Plot Synopsis:

Five years after the events of the first film, Jesse and his family have moved into the Elm Street house. Before long, Jesse begins having nightmares involving Freddy Krueger, who wants to possess Jesse and kill people outside of the dream world.

Positives: 

Starting things out with the positives, I actually do like this movie's approach in terms of following a final guy instead of a final girl( even if there is also technically a final girl). Once again, I really do have to sing the praises of Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger. Adding to that a little bit, I kind of like that this version of Freddy is a little bit darker. He's not quite as jokey as he was in the first movie or some of the later sequels. Aside from Robert Englund, I also think Mark Patton is pretty good as Jesse. I suppose I should also say that re-watching this movie, I also do like Jesse as a character. I like that he's so different than Nancy. While he's no Wes Craven, I do think Jack Sholder's direction is solid. With this movie, he shows some understanding of how to build some good visual atmosphere. There's also some really good practical effects in this movie. In particular, I like the scene near the end of the movie where Jesse officially turns into Freddy. 

Mixed Aspects:

This movie is something of an anomaly in the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. It isn't particularly important in the grand scheme of the franchise. Much like Friday the 13th Part 5, you probably could skip this movie and not miss anything. The main reason it doesn't bother me as much with this one is that, for the most part, it still has a lot of the DNA carried over from the first film. It's also not trying to replace Freddy with a completely new killer. I should also make people aware there are some gay "undertones." They don't bother me, per se, but you should be aware in case that isn't your thing. As much as I feel that Freddy's a little bit darker in this movie, the film overall is quite a bit cheesier than the first film. That 80s cheese may be a turn-off for some fans. Finally, there's the bad parenting. It's not the first time I've harped on it, and it won't be the last.

Negatives:

The movie is a bit slowly paced. Watching it again, I do feel like this movie drags a bit more than the first film did, even though it's only 90 minutes. By this point, we know Freddy's our villain, so that slower reveal doesn't feel warranted. It also feels even more bizarre when Freddy's in the very first scene, but there isn't a kill until about the 40 minute mark. I did briefly mention that this movie does technically have a final girl as well as a final guy. Where I did like Mark, I think Lisa might actually be my least favorite final girl in this franchise. Alright, let's talk about my main issue with the movie. Freddy wants to enter the real world. I understand there's some "coming out" subtext. The problem I have is that Freddy tends to be scarier in the dream world. I mean, that's his home turf. Yes, he is able to carry some of his powers over. But, he also takes a lot more kicks and punches than he ever did in the first movie.

Final Thoughts: 

This was the first I had seen this movie in probably about ten years. I will say I got a little bit more out of it upon re-watch, but I still can't say I particularly liked it. 

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