Nancy Thompson, survivor of the Elm Street murders is a psychiatrist brought in to help troubled kids at Westin Hills Psychiatric Hospital. All of these teens have one thing in common, their dreams are being invaded by someone Nancy knows only too well, Freddy Krueger.
After the abomination bore that was A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy's Revenge, New Line Cinema set about making a better and more truer sequel to 1984's excellent A Nightmare on Elm Street. Recalling series creator Wes Craven, who had bailed after the first film claiming he didn't want a franchise born, and installing the first film's scream queen Heather Langenkamp in a more mature role, New Line meant business. With more budget to hand and Craven aided in the writing by Frank Darabont, Chuck Russell and Bruce Wagner, the end result is arguably the best sequel of what was to become a money spinning franchise.
With a sharp elaborate story focusing on troubled kids, and dealing in themes such as teen suicide, heroin addiction and dream suppressant drugs, all that was needed was authentic location work and the skill to formulate horror sequences worthy of the name. Thankfuly we get both. Some of the disturbing and gruesome methods used by Freddy as he cruelly goes about offing the last of the Elm Street children, are some of the series best. Puppetry, TV and needle point rushes are just a few on offer, while a skeleton sequence harks to the work of one Ray Harryhausen. There's even a nice plot thread involving a nun that puts a bit more meat on Freddie's troubling back story.
But some problems do harm the film. Heather Langenkamp, bless her, was suitably cast in the first film, here she is not. Badly out of sorts trying to convince everyone she's a mature psychiatrist, she's even out acted by the almost worse Craig Wasson as Neil Gordon. One glance at the subsequent post Elm Street 3 career of Langenkamp sadly speaks volumes. She isn't helped tho by the exuberance of the young and upcoming cast around her, led by pivotal Patricia Arquette as Kristen Parker and boasting cool in the form of Bradley Gregg's sleep walker, Phillip. It's with the youngsters that Elm Street 3 is ultimately remembered for, well that and the ingenious ways Krueger tries to off them of course. Laurence Fishburne is also in it but is underused as Max, a hospital orderly with a heart.
This was the last time that an Elm Street movie had some nous about it. Before Krueger became a caricature of a caricature, where a quip became more important than an effective, and intelligently constructed kill. Craven wanted out, but after making a $40 million domestic profit on part 3, it opened up scope for further ventures. Ventures that sadly took the franchise, and its main character down hill fast. 7/10
After the abomination bore that was A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy's Revenge, New Line Cinema set about making a better and more truer sequel to 1984's excellent A Nightmare on Elm Street. Recalling series creator Wes Craven, who had bailed after the first film claiming he didn't want a franchise born, and installing the first film's scream queen Heather Langenkamp in a more mature role, New Line meant business. With more budget to hand and Craven aided in the writing by Frank Darabont, Chuck Russell and Bruce Wagner, the end result is arguably the best sequel of what was to become a money spinning franchise.
With a sharp elaborate story focusing on troubled kids, and dealing in themes such as teen suicide, heroin addiction and dream suppressant drugs, all that was needed was authentic location work and the skill to formulate horror sequences worthy of the name. Thankfuly we get both. Some of the disturbing and gruesome methods used by Freddy as he cruelly goes about offing the last of the Elm Street children, are some of the series best. Puppetry, TV and needle point rushes are just a few on offer, while a skeleton sequence harks to the work of one Ray Harryhausen. There's even a nice plot thread involving a nun that puts a bit more meat on Freddie's troubling back story.
But some problems do harm the film. Heather Langenkamp, bless her, was suitably cast in the first film, here she is not. Badly out of sorts trying to convince everyone she's a mature psychiatrist, she's even out acted by the almost worse Craig Wasson as Neil Gordon. One glance at the subsequent post Elm Street 3 career of Langenkamp sadly speaks volumes. She isn't helped tho by the exuberance of the young and upcoming cast around her, led by pivotal Patricia Arquette as Kristen Parker and boasting cool in the form of Bradley Gregg's sleep walker, Phillip. It's with the youngsters that Elm Street 3 is ultimately remembered for, well that and the ingenious ways Krueger tries to off them of course. Laurence Fishburne is also in it but is underused as Max, a hospital orderly with a heart.
This was the last time that an Elm Street movie had some nous about it. Before Krueger became a caricature of a caricature, where a quip became more important than an effective, and intelligently constructed kill. Craven wanted out, but after making a $40 million domestic profit on part 3, it opened up scope for further ventures. Ventures that sadly took the franchise, and its main character down hill fast. 7/10