Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors

9/10 

It is always interesting to watch sequels, because you never know if they will be able to hold up to the original. The best feeling is when you find one that was actually better.  This happened with "Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors".  I personally find this film to be darker, gorier, and much more fun than the first, and it's my favorite of the entire series. It also did well with mainstream critics, and it was a box office success.

The movie started off very intensely, as a girl named Kristen Parker has crazy nightmares.  Things get even stranger when Kristen's mother thinks that the injuries from the dreams were her fault. Kristen is then sent to a mental institution with other teens that are facing these problems.  I think this plot was extremely genius, because it hit a place in the mind that makes it more than a slasher, but a psychological thriller. 

One of the things that really helped this film was the cast/characters. For starters Nancy Thompson(Heather Langenkemp) returned for this sequel, and she really helped move the movie along with her kind and likable personality. Patricia Arquette really excelled in the role of Kristen, because she could show her fears and insanity that comes from the fear very convincingly, and she made the character gain a lot of sympathy from viewers. Craig Wasson was awesome as Dr. Neil Gordon, because he really gave off the caring nature for the kids and Nancy, and he was a very genuine and awesome guy. Another fun cast member was Larry Fishburne in the role of Max. He was so chill as the character, and there wasn't any way of not liking him. 

The next thing that I really liked about this movie was the kill scenes. They were so graphic and brutal, and some of them even made me cringe.  The vein puppet scene is possibly the sickest part of the entire series, because it is so warped and gory.  Along with the killings, there is also very dark and brooding tone that overlaps the movie, and it was amped up from the previous installments. 

A big turn in approach that happened in this film was the comedic undertone. Freddy's character said a lot more one liners than before, and his character is hilarious. I think that in part, this makes him much more sadistic, but also I feel that it showed the series was taking itself less serious. 

A lot more is found out about Freddy, and the viewer even learns the details of his birth. I thought this was a good idea, because it gives the reasons for why he was so crazy.  I usually don't like back stories, but this one was done in a way that was not too cheesy, and it was interesting enough. 

The last twenty minutes or so of this movie were high throttle scenes of tensity, and I think it was the best climax of the series.  There was lots of fighting, and surprises that I wouldn't have ever expected.  I also noticed that the boiler room symbolizes hell with its flames and horrible vibe. The actual ending itself was not as good as part 2, but this was all saved by the credits. The outro song was "Dream Warriors," and this song had been my favorite since my childhood(even before seeing the movie). I remember that the first time I watched this movie, I was so pumped by this that I started to cheer.  So even though there wasn't the crazy surprise ending like the others, it had its own place, and it was still very good. 

Overall, this is my favorite of the "Nightmare on Elm Street" series. It is such a close battle between this and the original, but I feel that this one was just on top because of the way it really captures the viewer emotionally, and for its sadistic violence.  I definitely recommend the movie to all horror fans, because it is a fun flick that will leave you pleased.