The original 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' is still to me one of the scariest and best horror films there is, as well as a truly great film in its own right and introduced us to one of the genre's most iconic villains in Freddy Krueger. It is always difficult to do a sequel that lives up to a film as good as 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' let alone one to be on the same level.
'A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors' has often been touted as the best 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' sequel (or one of them) and one of the best of the series. Couldn't agree more with this. For me it is the best sequel, and while it is not quite in the same level as the original it is the closest the follow-ups get to having what made the original the classic that it is and is much better than the second film.
'Dream Warriors' may not be perfect. Maybe it could have done with having a few less characters, Neil could have been more interesting and stronger developed, and the support acting is variable though none terrible.
However, Heather Langenkamp fills her role very well and Robert Englund is terrifying once more as Freddy (cannot imagine anybody else). Chuck Russell's direction is some of the best of the series in by far the best directed sequel. He is not afraid to stretch genre boundaries and does it in a way that feels fresh, a lot of it is remarkably imaginative for an 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' sequel and the execution is great.
As are the special effects, particularly the snake and the TV set, the darkly comic humour with cracking one-liners and the truly frightening scares with the marionette scene being one of the highlights of the series.
Very little is shoddy in the production values, the production design being both dream-like and nightmarish and the photography is stylish. The music looms ominously, while the Edgar Allan Poe quote and the Ray Harryhausen montage are inspired touches.
In summary, very well executed and the best of the sequels. 8/10 Bethany Cox
