Despite A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge not living up to the original film in most people’s eyes, it was still a financial success for New Line Cinema. And when movies are profitable, sequels are soon to follow. That being said, today’s film is more than just a sequel; it is an exceptionally polished horror movie that any fan of the genre can appreciate.
After Freddy’s Revenge was released in theaters in 1985, the next film in the series enjoyed a generous two-year production cycle, hitting theaters in February of 1987. The longer production cycle resulted in a more polished final product than Freddy’s Revenge. Even more importantly, Wes Craven, who created the original Elm Street film, returned to write and produce the third installment. As a result, expectations for the third installment were higher than they were for Freddy’s Revenge. We’re here to take a look at what was originally intended as the final film in the Elm Street franchise. This is A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors.
Dream Warriors was directed by Chuck Russell and co-written by Wes Craven, Bruce Wagner, Frank Darabont and Russell. The score was produced by Angelo Badalamenti. The movie starred Robert Englund, Heather Langenkamp and Craig Wasson, and it was also Patricia’s Arquette’s debut film. The plotline follows Freddy Krueger, who has inexplicably returned yet again to torment more kids living on Elm Street. His murderous antics have traumatized these teens, and many of them have been checked into a mental institution to be treated for their seemingly delusional dreams. The only thing that stands between Freddy and these children is a returning Nancy Thompson, who attempts to train the teens on how to face Freddy in the land of their dreams. They must become dream warriors…
The setup within the movie is interesting, because to the “outside world” in the film, it appears that these teens are in fact insane. The psychiatric hospital staff’s efforts to help these teens only isolates them further and makes it easier for Freddy to strike. The story has a sense of finality to it due to several factors. For example, the return of Langenkamp’s Nancy from the first film brings the series full circle. She has transformed from a frightened teen into a grown woman who wishes to put a stop to Freddy once and for all. Without going into specific plot points, the film does bring a conclusive end to the tale between Nancy and Freddy. In this sense, the film succeeds as a final chapter, even though the series would ultimately continue.
Putting aside the returning characters, Dream Warriors is an extremely tense horror film that ups the ante in terms of gore. I wouldn’t say that it has more gore than the original film, but it is more overt. Death scenes are in frame and leave little to the imagination; it is definitely a more visually unsettling horror film than Freddy’s Revenge. While the horror themes and tone carry well for the most part, this film is the first in the Elm Street franchise to include more comedic elements, especially from Freddy. That being said, the humor doesn’t distract too much from the central ideas or tone in this film. Humor will become a larger element in later films, but here it is relatively harmless.
When it comes to visual and audio presentation, Dream Warriors is mostly successful. Badalamenti’s score is an excellent supplement to events on screen without being overpowering, and it compliments to the vocal track heard that plays during end credits titled Dream Warrior. However, the effects are where things get a bit messy. Simple things like Freddy’s prosthetic makeup are fine, but there is a significant visual effect at the climax of the movie that looked dated upon release and looks even worse today.
Dream Warriors grossed $44.8 million during its U.S. theatrical run against a budget of $4 million. The film itself received mostly glowing critical praise and was nominated for several awards. The positive reception it received from fans and critics proved that Craven had a clear understanding of what made the original film successful.
Dream Warriors is by no means a perfect film, but it is a strong horror film that sought to bring the Elm Street story to it’s conclusion. Despite being billed as the final film, however, A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master was later released in 1988 with no involvement from Craven, and a few more films would follow. Regardless of it not truly being the last, Dream Warriors is still a strong film that any fan of horror can get behind. I’ve even partnered with Amazon to bring you a purchase link for Dream Warriors so you can experience one of Elm Street’s best films for yourself! If you love a strong horror film, I wholeheartedly recommend checking this one out!
