Classic!

Rating: 10/10 (12 August 2009)

Classic. If I had to describe this movie in one word, that's what it would be. Robert Englund is sensational in this role as the bastard son of a thousand maniacs Freddy Krueger. He's scary, sinister and downright psychopathic. Yet, somehow he makes this Dream demon become an icon of the horror genre. Heather Langenkamp plays the heroine Nancy Thompson not only in this movie but two other entries in the series as well. And yes, one can't go without bringing up that this is Johnny Depp's first movie, and he does exceptional well in his acting debut, leaving his mark on the series and the genre in general with a certain scene involving a bed, but more on that in a bit.
Most will know the story already, but I'll go through it anyway. The parents of Elm Street caught and burned alive a local child rapist and murderer after failing to be charged in the courts. So now he comes back for the children of Elm Street through their dreams. Now we must follow four teens in their fight for survival and fear of falling asleep. Such a great concept, which was actually inspired by real events. The real events being reports of people dying in their sleep after warning others it would happen.
This movie has an eerie vibe throughout, as you never really know what is a dream and what is reality, it does a great job of messing with your head. They keep Freddy in the shadows for a lot of the movie, and that definitely adds to the scare factor. His appearance is unforgettable, the red/green sweater, the dirty brown hat and the burned makeup all look phenomenal. Everything about Freddy is scary in this, from his razor sharp blades to his bone chilling laugh, he is the ultimate Boogeyman.
The nightmares themselves, are just fantastic. My favorite scene, and many others, is when Tina (Amanda Wyss) must face off against Freddy. We are treated to a great chase scene, with Freddy just playing mind games throughout. He cuts off his own fingers while giving one of the most sinister looks I've ever seen. And who can forget about the stretched out arms in the alleyway right before running after Tina like a madman with his trademark glove high in the air. After finally catching her, he just butchers her while her boyfriend Rod (Jsu Garcia) can do nothing but look on. She is just tortured as he drags her across the ceiling and walls, while slicing her up with his glove.
There are so many memorable scenes in this, Wes Craven really created a masterpiece with this one. With the movie now being 25 years old, it still holds up reasonably well. The effects are top notch and well placed throughout. Johnny Depp's death scene looks absolutely fantastic. After falling asleep and being pulled into his bed, gallons of blood comes shooting out and completely soaks the entire room. Even little things like the unplugged phone ringing and once Nancy answers it turns in to Freddys mouth, so unexpected and so effective.
The setup for the final showdown between Nancy and Freddy is so intense, and the finale itself is as well. This in my opinion is where Heather Langenkamp really shines. We see her prepare for war in setting up booby-traps and overall becoming a stronger character. She single handily takes on Freddy and stops the dream demon, by showing great courage/no fear, and taking back every bit of energy she ever gave him.
My only complaint would be the final scene of the movie. Where everyone seems to be okay, the sun is shining, and the group of kids are on their way to school when the top comes flying down on the car with the colours being red and green, hmmm, what could that mean. Then the part comes that I don't like, where Nancy's mother is pulled through a small window at the top of their front door by Freddy, the effects here, are pretty poor. Luckily, I can look past this as its about 3 seconds out of the movie that I don't like, and the ending was never properly finished as it's a mixture of a couple possible endings.
This movie is the definition of a classic. My Favorite slasher, my favorite horror, my favorite film period. Everybody involved did a spectacular job and their effort really shows in the finished product.
10/10