Johnny Depp's most amazing performance

Rating: Null/10 (6 April 2000)

Warning: there are spoilers in this review.
Most horror film connoisseurs tend to thumb their noses at the "Nightmare on Elm Street" sequels, contending that they are too silly, too goofy, too pun-filled to be counted as true horror, and that they all besmirch the dark, brooding, and genuinely scary original. Well, I took some time to revisit the original "Nightmare on Elm Street" and found that not only is it not a classic of modern horror, it itself is one goofy movie.
Don't get me wrong, I like it. Freddy is a great character, and there are some great kills- the girl on the ceiling and the bed-turned-blood fountain. But there are tons of goofy scenes in the movie: Freddy's face falling off to reveal a silly skull with bug eyes, Freddy appearing as an ugly girl with two big pony tails, and the whole absurd sequence where our protagonist rigs her house with traps to catch Freddy (I never knew "A Nightmare on Elm Street" was the inspiration for "Home Alone"). Even the final "zinger" scene is hilarious- with the obvious dummy of the mother being pulled through the window.
So, while I would recommend this movie, I don't think it's a genuinely "good" movie. I think parts 3-5 are where the series really hit its stride, taking full advantage of the dream settings and Freddy's powers.