A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987) wasn't part of the SYFY Freddy franchise package last October so my daughter missed out on that, but since I have the '99 franchise box set (still treasured in my physical media library), she really wanted to finally watch it. This is also that rare time where my wife decided to watch it with us, since this sequel is her favorite of the franchise. Despite the success of the second film, the "broken rules" (perhaps not broken, since I noticed yesterday at the end Freddy wasn't "over" as Lisa had told Jesse, emerging from Lisa's friend's stomach the iconic blade glove and Robert Englund laugh, so it wouldn't seem Jesse ever had awaken from his nightmare) seemed to irritate Craven, so a fresh treatment laying out the third film was written. Granted, Nightmare fans know that what ultimately got made didn't adhere to Craven's script, but I appreciate the efforts of everyone involved in what turned out to be "Dream Warriors".
I don't watch "Dream Warriors" a lot because it is my "roller coaster" film of the franchise. I know that getting on and off should remain exhilarating and exciting. If I were to lose that feeling when watching "Dream Warriors", it would be a very sad day. Every time I watch it, I say to myself, "The just feels complete." I think it just feels like a nice closing chapter in the Elm Street saga, and, even though I do enjoy a lot about "The Dream Master", Parts 1 & 3 are neck-to-neck my favorite films of the franchise. And the franchise does feel as if it deteriorates quite a bit after "Dream Warriors". When my daughter and I get to "The Dream Master", I'll have something positive to say, as I always do, but honestly, the fourth film shows us how the franchise was losing that "specialness" so associated with the first and third films. Now, I have noticed that the second film, "Freddy's Revenge", has really built a loyal and vocal cult following, and out of the franchise, to me, the second film is the one that has improved on additional viewings since I first watched it in the late 90s.
Saying all that, my daughter was not happy with one decision this film's screenplay made in regards to bringing back Langenkamp as Nancy, only to pull that ole 80s slasher trope applied way too often to franchises: killing off important characters in past films. "The Dream Master" pulled that shit with Kincaid and Joey, which sucked, and so Nancy biting the big one thanks to Freddy's capitalizing on her weakness -- daddy issues -- does leave that feeling of "Oh, mannnnnnnnn...." It just hurts, I admit. She's a beloved figure in the Freddy Universe....that is what made the casting of Rooney Mara all the more frustrating/infuriating. That wonderful head full of hair in the era of that for women really popped off screen to me when Nancy emerges again to help the "last of the Elm Street kids" finally defeat Freddy once and for all. Still, Nancy doesn't go out without injuring Freddy, biding time so that Wasson's Dr. Gordon could holy water Krueger's charred skeletal remains. Now, an issue that continues to nag at me is how Freddy can leave the dream realm, "occupy" his bones, even killing Saxon's security guard (having fallen far since his days as the police chief) with a bony hand with those blades attached. How does he make the lights on the junk cars go off and cause them to topple over? If Craven had an issue with Sholder's fast-and-loose use of the rules, this would seem to be another prime example of tinkering with the mythology. Just the same, it is so minor in the grand scheme of things. Still if you are one of those who just considers the third film as a good finale for the franchise, I can't say I blame you. Part 3 just feels like a fine see-ya to fans of the Nancy/Freddy arc. And it feels good seeing Kincaid and Joey alive and well, with Kirsten also having survived. The fourth film does seem to really take a lot of the good will built by that third film, moving Fred and the franchise in a direction so many critical of the latter stages of the Nightmare franchise hold responsible for the decline in quality.
I will cop to it: this is still very much a creatively energized body count movie still tethered to the 80s slasher genre. This is just so full of inventive skill and such a showcase for so many brilliant minds collectively present behind the scenes to make this third film a hell of a treat. From casting of characters (this is my favorite collection of young adult victims), to the make up effects teams assembled, including Freddy right on the cusp of burned jokester, "Dream Warriors" still remains an essential treasure from my youth. I was telling my wife and daughter that I believe the first time I ever saw it was when I woke up one morning and the scene with Fred severing Kirsten's mom's head while she blabbers in disgust at her daughter for being such a pain was in progress. That was back when my stepbrother was recording VHS rentals to video tape for his collection. I want to say this was some point in the late 80s, but pinning down the exact time in difficult. I believe I had been sleeping, and my eyes opened to Fred, in tuxedo, cleaving mommy's head from the neck while Kirsten responded in horror. I knew that between that scene and Lisa Wilcox's Alice doing battle with Fred in the "nightmare cathedral" in Part 4 that I would be an Elm Street fan for life.
And in saying that, once I have rewatched the fourth film, I'm sure I'll see a lot of the fun stuff and once again fail to combat my soft spot for "The Dream Master". It's happened too many times.
I dunno, though. Watching "Dream Warriors" on a Tuesday aftertoon in late July doesn't feel right. This deserves a Saturday evening pizza night with a Coke Zero. Not some random Tuesday in hot July.
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