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Though I had high hopes, the new "A Nightmare on Elm Street" is lacking in a critical area — creativity.


A Nightmare on Elm Street
Starring: Jackie Earle Haley, Katie Cassidy, Kyle Gallner, and Rooney Mara
Quick Take: The 1984 film "A Nightmare on Elm Street" is a classic. Writer/director Wes Craven, who's made a name for himself as a master horror film storyteller, delivered an original film that took the standard slasher film mold and gave it a new twist. Over the past five years, Hollywood has remade most of its horror classics, including fresh takes on "Friday the 13th" and "Halloween." Even some of Craven's own films — "Last House on the Left" and "The Hills Have Eyes" — have gotten remakes. In many cases, there has been a degree of savagery introduced in these remakes that is disquieting for audiences, particularly those that are fans of the genre. Thankfully the new "A Nightmare on Elm Street" doesn't stray into the so-called "torture-porn" category, but it also fails to strike an original note. Haley is a perfect person to step into the role of Freddy Kruger and the mishmash of teens that serve as fodder for Freddy do a solid job as well, but this film is a by-the-numbers remake. It closely follows the story from the original, including some similar sequences, which makes it an interesting study in film homage but doesn't exactly make it a strong contender in the horror genre. The story is too predictable and the familiarity of the way the film is put together saps some of the potential tension from key sequences. "A Nightmare on Elm Street" is well done and stylishly crafted by director Samuel Bayer, but it's not really compelling. It's box office haul on opening weekend, however, has assured us of a sequel. It would be nice if someone could find a way to breathe new life into the genre instead of prepping a sixth and seventh "Saw" sequel, another ridiculous "Final Destination" film or a re-make of a horror movie from the 1970s and 1980s. There is a dearth of originality in the genre that I believe may spell the death-knell for horror films as we know them.
Rating: R for strong bloody horror violence, disturbing images, terror and language.
Verdict: Two stars out of four.

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