Nerds That Geek Movie Review – ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

‘Welcome to prime time... bitch!’ 
- Freddy Krueger

Dreams really are a true delight. Because when we close our eyes and slip into that strange world between worlds, we can truly be anything or anyone that we wish to be. Which is why so many of us live out some incredible lives in the dream world. Where we are able to travel the stars or become our favorite superhero, and it really is quite the rush to able to fly through the skies just because we can. Or see the galaxy because we’ve transformed into an intrepid explorer. But while dreams are indeed wondrous and leave us feeling refreshed when they’re fun and rewarding, there is a dark side to them as well.
 
Because sometimes we can't control which direction we want to fly toward, or we simply fall from the sky. Or the heroic act we thought we were performing, puts our life at risk as our wonderful dream falls to pieces. Or worst of all, they degenerate into utter nightmares, the kind that rip us from our slumber in a sweaty panic. The kind that leave us wishing we could control our dreams once our hearts stop racing and oddly enough, being in control of one’s dreams, is an idea that is central to one of the best Freddy Krueger films around, A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors. 

Kristen Parker continues to have vivid nightmares about badly burned man. One that seems intent on killing her while she sleeps and that's making her terrified to fall asleep. But to her mother these dreams seem to be nothing more than the signs of a troubled child, a notion that is reinforced for her, when Kristen awakens with cuts on her wrists. An unfortunate surprise that motivates mom to commit her daughter to psychiatric care. But within the halls of Westin Hills, Kristen finds others who have had similar dreams and a mysterious new counselor, Nancy Thompson, is quick to tell them the truth about their nightmares. In that, the man pursuing them is a vengeful child murderer named Freddy Krueger and they are his next targets. But there is a chance that they can survive his onslaught, thanks to a special ability that Kristen possesses, where she can pull others into her dreams. Because if she can bring her friends together in the dream world, and they can use the best parts of dreaming to their advantage, then there is a chance that they can put Fred Krueger down, once and for all.

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The first thing you'll notice about this movie, is that this is the film where Freddy finally takes the center stage as the star of this franchise and that comes courtesy of Robert Englund's amazing reinvention of the character. Because not only is Freddy still the menacing monster we came to know in the first two motion pictures, now he’s a comedian too and he is able to deliver some dead pan one liners that not only work laugh wise, they somehow make him all the more chilling. Because by adding humor into the mix, the character now seems to take great pride and joy in satisfying his bloodlust.

But the reinvention doesn't end there. For the special effects up their game as well since Freddy goes beyond just lurking in the shadows, he is now able to transform himself into functional killing devices of the dream world he inhabits, and that’s just amazing when all is said and done. Because that allows for some incredible dream-like creations to come to life, such as the Freddy worm and it is just wonderful to finally see the possibilites of this world be explored in a proper fashion. But while it is cool to see some seriously top notch and freakish effects come to life on the screen, what matters most, is that this story still has quality scares to offer the audience.

Because there are some genuinely eerie and disturbing moments that take place here, the kind that rival the creepiest moments of the original film. Something that is likely attributed to the fact that Wes Craven came back to help out with the screenplay. And really, all of those elements, along with the return of Heather Langenkamp as Nancy Thompson and John Saxon as her pop, produce an utterly incredible Elm Street motion picture. One that truly put the franchise on the map and made Robert Englund a household name and this is a film that provides you with an amazing sense of satisfaction, regardless of how many times you watch it.

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