It's Just A Dream....a review of A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors

Looking back at the early entries in the Nightmare series, one might argue that Wes Craven's original was comparable to, say, Metallica's Kill 'Em All record in that it was the rough, unpolished blueprint for an entire new genre. Although groundbreaking, it was still considered underground and independent -- certainly anything but mainstream. Those who were fans knew it by word of mouth and spread the gospel to their friends alike.

 

So, by this rationale, Nightmare 2 would be the equivalent to the Ride the Lightning record; a follow-up that was certainly up to the challenge of not only being in the same league as its predecessor, but also possessing the intent of trying to surpass it in some way. Obviously the first Nightmare sequel had its fans and naysayers alike for various reasons (believe it or not, there are folks who abandonded Metallica after the first record), however it still brought the series that much closer to the mainstream and, in doing so, set events in motion for Freddy Krueger to become a household name.

This notion, of course, leads to the inevitable comparison of Nightmare 3 to the Master of Puppets record; easily at the top of the indie scene, breaking sales records, growing in popularity, and bringing the mainstream closer to the series and Freddy as a whole . . . all from just outside the fences of not quite being a household name. 

Released in 1987, Nightmare 3 begins my favorite story arc in the entire series -- the last of the Elm Street children -- while also continuing the continuity of the original film by bringing back Nancy Thompson and her father Donald.  Speaking of continuity, this is one of the aspects that I've always felt set the Nightmare series apart from its biggest contemporary, Friday the 13th.  Throughout the entire Dream Trilogy started by Nightmare 3, close attention to detail is paid to the characters who come in and out of each film.  There's also, of course, the haunted version of 1428 Elm Street that makes its first appearance in this sequel, continuing through the remainder of the series (of course, with little continuity on the interiors of the house, but that's another matter in and of itself).

Also worth noting this time around is the return of series creator Wes Craven, receiving story and screen-writing credit along with Frank Darabont and director Chuck Russell, among others.

This time around, the last of the Elm Street children have been institutionalized after their parents deem their attempts to stay awake as some sort of suicidal group psychosis.  Naturally, the adults in the film don't believe the kids and aren't phased in the least that they were all dreaming of the same boogeyman long before they met eachother. 

Freddy returns to the screen, once again, chasing the film's heroine Kristen Parker (played by Academy Award winner Patricia Arquette in her first role) without skipping a beat from the mixed reviews of Nightmare 2 two years earlier.  After a particularly rough nightmare, Kristen is admitted to the institution where the rest of our story takes place.  Once there, of course, she's introduced to the rest of the Elm Street children and, with the help of Freddy's greatest foe Nancy Thompson (with Heather Langenkamp returning once again to give Freddy the ol' one-two), they all become the titular Dream Warriors.

Speaking of the kids, there's short-fused Kincaid (Ken Sagoes), mute Joey (Rodney Eastman), aspiring TV starlet Jennifer (Penelope Sudrow), puppet maker Phillip (Bradley Gregg), wizard in training Will Stanton (Ira Heiden), and of course, everyone's favorite badgirl, Taryn White (Jennifer Rubin).  Also along for the ride as skeptical adults are Craig Wasson, Priscilla Pointer, and a young Laurence Fishburne.

As Freddy invades the dreams of and stalks the Dream Warriors, this is where the series really came into itself and became known for its outlandish special effects sequences!  Everything from a phalic-looking giant Freddy snake to a TV that kills, and even a tribute to Ray Harryhausen stop-motion animation is thrown at the viewer!

In the special effects department, you've got Kevin Yager returning for the make-up duties (creating what is pretty much the definitive look for Freddy) and pioneers like Mark Shostrom, Greg Cannom, and Screaming Mad George contributing to some of the outlandish special effects sequences.  Some of the standout sequences include the aforementioned Freddy Snake and killer TV set, along with a character having his veins and ligaments ripped out as Freddy controls him like a marionette!

Going back to, what I consider the definitive Freddy look, this was actually the very first time I'd seen Freddy, so this one is special.  However, there's also a plethora of promotional photos for Nightmare 3 that were used on merchandise, posters, packaging, everything from the time of the film's release right up to the present day.  My favorite image, of course, is the promo poster that I've talked about on here before...it's just simple, effective, and so damn cool! 

Most Nightmare fans consider this to be the best of the sequels and I can't say that I disagree!  It's got some of the most memorable sequences and one-liners (that are still effective, cruel, and not completely corny like some of the later sequels), a great cast of likable characters to root for, and it perfectly sets up the next film in its final reel.  Along with the new characters to root for, Nightmare 3 also sees the return of Nancy and her father from the original film; when it comes to Horror heroines, Heather Langenkamp is easily right at home next to Halloween's Jamie Lee Curtis or Friday the 13th's Adrienne King.

All in all, Nightmare 3 is a roller coaster ride of a sequel . . . it brings back familiar characters, expands on a story that we think we all know (adding the depth of the Bastard Son of 100 Maniacs), and leaves the door open for yet another sequel!