Post by Reynard on Nov 27, 2017 18:55:03 GMT
I appreciate this film's "less is more" approach to Freddy's character. Sequels usually show more of the monster while Freddy's Revenge shows even less of him than Craven's original. There's like 30-40 minutes between "kill for me" scene and Freddy's next appearance, with plot developments about Jesse's personal problems and weird poltergeist phenomena taking all time between them.
However there are all kinds of problems that are hard to fully forgive. Acting ranges from good to wooden and laughable, Freddy's burnt face make-up looks a bit "off" and nowhere near as good as in the original, and the steel mill finale is weak as hell. Sexual subtext is interesting but also so obvious that it often feels more like a parody. Nightmare 1 was much more subtle about all the sexual stuff in it. Soundtrack is interesting at least. Not much melody, more like a soundscape. Very unusual for its time.
I like it that dreams and reality are still blurred in this. Jesse's nightly trip into a club and the sport teacher's death turning out to be a real thing and not a nightmare was quite a disturbing surprise when I first watched this. Nightmare 3 was the first one where it was very easy to tell dreams and reality apart, and I think the series lost much of its serious horror appeal with that approach, becoming more like a dark fantasy. So, Freddy's Revenge is a mixed bag but I prefer it to parts 4-6 at least.
However there are all kinds of problems that are hard to fully forgive. Acting ranges from good to wooden and laughable, Freddy's burnt face make-up looks a bit "off" and nowhere near as good as in the original, and the steel mill finale is weak as hell. Sexual subtext is interesting but also so obvious that it often feels more like a parody. Nightmare 1 was much more subtle about all the sexual stuff in it. Soundtrack is interesting at least. Not much melody, more like a soundscape. Very unusual for its time.
I like it that dreams and reality are still blurred in this. Jesse's nightly trip into a club and the sport teacher's death turning out to be a real thing and not a nightmare was quite a disturbing surprise when I first watched this. Nightmare 3 was the first one where it was very easy to tell dreams and reality apart, and I think the series lost much of its serious horror appeal with that approach, becoming more like a dark fantasy. So, Freddy's Revenge is a mixed bag but I prefer it to parts 4-6 at least.