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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A refreshing, surprisingly good "end" to the series, 24 Jan 2004
I brought many mixed feelings to the theatre with me when I originally saw this film back in late 1991. On the one hand, I was thrilled to get another chance to watch my man Freddy doing what he does best; on the other hand, I was emotionally traumatized by the thought of this literally being the end of Freddy Krueger. Still, I enjoyed the film immensely, and now – knowing that Freddy wasn't finished after all - I can go back and really have fun with this film. A lot of fans find fault with Freddy's Dead, but I am not one of them. It does go a little overboard a time or two, but this film exhibited – from start to finish - a different character, atmosphere, and feel from all five of its predecessors, breathing vivid new life and infusing great energy into all things Elm Street. It's really a quite different Freddy that we find in this installment. Jumping ten years into the future, we find Freddy pretty much fat and happy; he has been very busy in this lost decade, pretty much wiping out the young people of Springwood and infesting what is left of the town with his insidious spirit. This Freddy is strong and powerful, going out of his way to really enjoy his soul-reaping escapades. A Nightmare on Elm Street 5 made the mistake of going to extremes somewhat half-heartedly; Freddy's Dead also goes to extremes, but it does so with gusto and without the pretences that weakened Elm Street 5. Freddy truly enjoys himself in this installment, making this perhaps the most entertaining of all the Elm Street films.The most significant aspect of Freddy's Dead is the remarkable insight we get into Freddy's past. The movie drops something of a bombshell on the audience, showing us a part of Freddy's history we never knew before. This plot point doesn't work perfectly (suffering slightly from "what came first – the chicken or the egg" syndrome), but it does work. We also gain insight into Freddy's childhood (Alice Cooper plays his step-father), which was not a particularly happy one. While many a victim of such childhood abuse would now go on Oprah and sob for the cameras, Freddy chose a different path. He didn't want apologies or understanding, he wanted revenge and blood. Personally, I think he made the right choice. Don't look for any players from past movies, as there is no direct continuity between Elm Street 5 and Freddy's Dead. Here we get to start all over again, in a world where only one Springwood teenager still lives. He tries to run, but he can't hide, and Freddy soon pulls him back where he belongs. Freddy wants a ticket out of town so that he can continue killing on a much larger scale ("Every town has an Elm Street"), and there is only one way out for him. This makes for a strong and attractive storyline, one which is even further enhanced by the film's explanation of the source of Freddy's nightmare powers. Of course, a few kids have to die, and they do so in the most ingenious of ways. Freddy's first appearance in this film is a must-see, and the kills he cooks up are elaborate, comical, and pretty darn satisfying. Fred's almost playful at times, truly delighting in his murderous handiwork. The video game kill sequence takes a good idea a little too far, but I thought the other kills were all very impressive – much different from what has come before, but very satisfying. Honestly, I find this a much better film than Elm Streets 2, 4, and 5. It's sort of a huge going away party for one of horror's greatest icons. Even Roseanne and Tom Arnold show up to be part of the fun (but, sadly, neither fall victim to our anti-hero). The big 3-D sequence that closes out the film is also great fun and wonderfully different from the "same old same old" endings of past years. I'm not completely satisfied with the method of Freddy's supposed destruction, but Freddy's Dead is basically a celebration of Freddy's unique contribution to the horror genre. I'm still not sure why the studio set out to end Freddy's reign of terror for good, though. A lot of experts seem to think that fans love to hate Freddy, so a desire to see him given a decent send-off might fit well into such modes of thought. There are plenty of us, though, who not only love Freddy but actively root him on. For us, Freddy's death was a hard pill to swallow; thankfully, Wes Craven returned home in the nick of time to save Freddy from a premature "death," giving him the chance to soar to even greater heights in Wes Craven's New Nightmare and Freddy vs. Jason.
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