NightmareonElmStreet4

Nightmare on Elm Street Part 4: The Dream Master (1988)

This sequel picks up with the survivors from part 3. If you remember they were the kids that got together with a girl named Kristen who was able to pull them all together in one dream to do battle with Freddy. Unfortunately Krueger is able to resurrect again and comes after them. The rest of the movie is Freddy doing battle with an ever-decreasing group of friends as he picks them off one at a time. Spoiler: When he finally kills off Kristen her power is passed to her boyfriend’s sister, Alice. But will she have better luck against old Freddy?

I actually really like this movie much more than I do part 3. The story is very solid, moves along quickly, and keeps the action coming towards the audience. I credit the fact that the director this time around, Renny Harlin, knows what the audience wants and gives it to them. I’m not a big fan of the wise cracking Freddy Krueger, but Robert Englund is very good in the role and the movie is better when he is on screen. This is one of my biggest complaints about part 3, not enough Freddy. But it isn’t even just the Freddy character; the whole movie is filled with in jokes, nods to the horror audience, and has a wicked sense of humor. One of the characters has a dog named Jason, the local diner and hang out is called the Crave Inn, it has a great goofy 80’s style training montage, and I love the roach motel bit. So while I prefer my slasher movies to be a bit more serious, or at least the killer to be less goofy this movie does deliver the goods and is entertaining.

The performances from the young cast aren’t that memorable. The best thing that I can say is that they don’t embarrass themselves and do a decent enough job. Englund gets way more screen time in this installment. Or at least is seems that way. I’ve already stated that he makes any scene that he is in way more entertaining to watch and is a hell of an actor. Personally with as bad as some of the entries in the Nightmare on Elm Street series are his performance as Freddy is the only reason fans kept coming back.

The kills aren’t anything special and for the most part are pretty tame. The only one that really stands out to me is the roach motel bit where the girl turns into a bug. This is where the effects guys are at their best and is also the most cringe inducing stuff lies in part 4. I also thought the sequence with the souls escaping Freddy was cool, but very dated. As for the rest of the movie the camera work, sound, and lighting are all solid and work well to create a creepy atmosphere that works perfectly for a Nightmare on Elm Street movie.

I know that part 3 is considered by many fans to be far better entry to the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise than part 4. But I just don’t think so. Part 3 tries so hard to be campy, reintroduce a couple of starts from the first movie, and then give Freddy a back-story that it misses the point. Line up some kids and let Freddy kill them off while delivering some one-liners. Personally I don’t the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise as much as I do others, but this is the formula that works best for these movies. I recommend that everyone revisit Nightmare on Elm Street part 4.

3 out of 4

reviewed by John Shatzer