With recent remakes of classic slasher films all the rage these days (Friday the 13th (2009), Halloween (2007), etc.), it’s no surprise that another slasher flick remake is on it’s way – A Nightmare on Elm Street.
Of course, there seems to be one major flaw in remaking A Nightmare on Elm Street as opposed to the other slasher flicks. While Friday the 13th and the like depended on the silent maniac to bring the terror, A Nightmare on Elm Street used the voice of it’s diabolical killer, Freddy Krueger, to deliver classic lines and general banter. Since day one, this iconic monster has been played to perfection by Robert Englund – even the Freddy vs. Jason film kept him in the role.
With this new remake, however, Robert Englund is nowhere to be found, and the role is in the hands of Jackie Earle Haley (Watchmen. No offense to him, but Robert Englund IS Freddy Krueger, and everyone else is nothing but a cheap imitator. How could they do this? Since Freddy is covered in scars, and burned flesh, the age of Englund has never been a problem, so why replace him? Sure, they want to start fresh with this remake, but did they really have to replace Freddy?
Needless to say, this major cast change has really thrown off my opinion of the new film. When I thought Robert Englund was going to reprise his role once more, I was looking forward to this new film. Without him, however, this new Freddy just seems to be a cheap imitator.
Will moviegoers bypass this major drawback and still see A Nightmare on Elm Street in theaters? Probably, but the fans who have grown up with their favorite nightmare will find it difficult to picture anyone else as Freddy Krueger, no matter who it is, and this new casting choice may keep them away from this one. As for me, I’ll probably wait for the DVD.
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