Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare

Well, I hate to spoil the movie for you but Freddy dies in this one. For what should've have been a grand finale to the series ends up only okay at best. The body count is low and there is just general goofiness all around. Freddy is a joker, and is not threatening at all. I suppose this makes some sense, because with all the power Freddy had it would only take a matter of time before he got so cynical in his killings. Just getting the job done, and having a good laugh while at it.

Since the series has been such a success, there actually is a budget on this and there's good Special Effects. But even with all the effects, it'll be the clever camera tricks that will have you thinking "how'd they do that?" There are only 3 deaths but they are pretty good and creative ones at least. In part 5 a kid is sucked into a comic book, in this one a kid is sucked into a video game. The results of this are way better than in part 5.

Then there's the plot- which is stupid. But at this point in the Nightmare On Elm Street series, you can't expect anything good. It's reached the point of campiness and for some reason I just went with it in Freddy's Dead. It's a goofy, somewhat enjoyable flick that I'm sort of on the fence about. It's not scary at all but it will keep you entertained, unlike Parts 2 and 5.

My Rating: 5/10

My least favorite of the entire series. While not a total loss, you do come away feeling cheated. The redeeming qualities of this flick are: the continued exploration into Freddy's past. (HELLO NEW LINE - DO THE NIGHTMARE PREQUEL - IF YOU MAKE IT WE WILL COME!) This was one whacked joker. The 3D sequences were good, but the ending totally blew.

Pros: Opening Sequence -- Cons: Ending -- Bottom Line: Still better than alot of other horror crud 5/10!

Often people will have low expectations going into a film like FREDDY'S DEAD: THE FINAL NIGHTMARE. How good can the sixth installment of any series be, let alone a string of low-budget frightfests? Yet I am not of the belief that horror series are doomed to run out of steam. Heck, I think Friday THE 13TH got better with age. But although I had an open mind while watching what was supposedly the last NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET film, I found it a bitter disappointment in every way.

Once again, our favorite grotesquely-disfigured dream stalker is after a group of teens, dispatching them one by one as they sleep. Yet none of the creativity or style of the previous films is present. Whatever happened to sequences such as the waterbed from Part 4 or the marionette from Part 3? It's as though producers cobbled this together just for the sake of making another Freddy film.

Other shortcomings abound. While other NIGHTMARE entries have been nothing short of brilliant at making the most of a limited budget, FREDDY'S DEAD looks the cheapest of them all. This is especially true when we see a younger Freddy meet the computer-generated dream spirits. It was reminiscent of a third-rate Saturday morning children's show. Humor was attempted here, with cameos by Johnny Depp and Roseann Arnold and a video game sequence with Freddy at the joystick, but it all falls flat. The acting is stale and Rachal Talalay directorial debut uninspired.

The finale is a particular disappointment. Of all the memorable ways Freddy has been killed in previous films, is having his daughter turn his own glove against him the best they could come up with? Granted, the idea of bringing the killer into the real world was a good one, but its potential was not fully explored.

Overall FREDDY'S DEAD is arguably one of the worst -- if not the worst -- films in this popular saga. And yes, that includes Part 2 and the overly artsy DREAM CHILD. One has to believe that if they had it to do all over again, the people behind this film could come up with something a lot better than this.

RELEASED IN 1991 and directed by Rachel Talalay, "Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare" (aka "A Nightmare on Elm Street 6: The Dream Lover") focuses on the last survivor of Freddy's vengeful assaults on the teens of the parents that vengefully killed him in Springwood, OH. The amnesiac (Shon Greenblatt) finds sanctuary at a home for troubled youths where three of the kids plan to escape (Lezlie Deane, Breckin Meyer & Ricky Dean Logan). Dr. Maggie Burroughs (Lisa Zane) takes John and (inadvertently) the three escapees to Springwood to find answers where they discover that Freddy had a child whom he wants to use to continue his murders. Who is his child?

The element concerning the halfway house for messed-up kids is borrowed from "Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning" (1985), but "Freddy's Dead" isn't as effective because (1.) the characters aren't as interesting, (2.) the plot is convoluted, and (3.) the female cast is inferior. Don't get me wrong on that last one, because Lisa Zane is stalwart and Lezlie Deane (as Tracy) is formidable. Deane, incidentally, was a former Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader (fired after six weeks for punching a choreographer) and went on to perform with the lipstick-lesbian band Fem2Fem in the mid-90s (big surprise) and, later, Scary Cherry and the Bang Bangs.

In light of the complicated story, this sixth installment might play better with repeat viewings. It's likable and worthy in some ways, but it's (currently) my least favorite of the first six films in the "Nightmare" series.

THE MOVIE RUNS 89 minutes and was shot in Sierra Madre & Los Angeles, California. WRITERS: Michael De Luca (screenplay) and Talalay (story). ADDITIONAL CAST: Yaphet Kotto plays a counselor at the shelter.

GRADE: C+

I guess I'm part of the silent minority who enjoyed this film. Is it one of the best of the "Nightmare" series? Maybe not, but I had lots of fun with it. Freddy Krueger reaches his evil, wisecracking potential. Since parts 4 and 5 kind of lagged the series down, I felt this so-called final installment ("New Nightmare" is the real finale) brought the series out of its slump. There are some great nightmare sequences, including one where Breckin Meyer plays a stoner who gets trashed, falls asleep and gets stuck in a video game to which Freddy controls. This is both a highly original and hilarious sequence, especially when we see him out of the dreamscape, hopping around like Super Mario. And Freddy belts out the funny one-liner, "Great graphics." And since the movie was made about 10 years ago, it brought back memories when Freddy started controlling the game with the Powerglove. Anyone who remembers the first 8-bit Nintendo remembers the Powerglove.

The cast is superb. Lisa Zane is perfectly cast in the lead. I haven't seen Yaphet Kotto since "The Running Man," and I think the last time I saw that film was about 5 years ago. He's another great, underappreciated actor who possesses a powerful screen presence. And who can forget the cameos? The best one is by Johnny Depp (from the first "Nightmare") playing a spokesman for an anti-drug commercial.

The 3D sequence at the end is really awesome! So for those who are looking to check this film out--please rent or buy it on DVD! Hopefully all the editions come with the 3D glasses, but I'm sure the video edition has the 3D element removed.

I personally didn't see many things wrong with the film. It even elaborated on Freddy's backstory. The film is a great mix of humor and scares, and the gross-out effects are terrific. Could this have given better justice to the franchise? Of course it could have. But Rachel Talalay did a fine job. And finding the perfect conclusion is easier said than done.

And in closing, I loved the montage over the opening credits. Fans of the series will be delighted, and will look at it as a tribute to beloved Freddy.

My score: 7 (out of 10)