 While 'Freddy's Revenge' has a place in the series, it's my humble opinion that if there was ever a true sequel to 'A Nightmare on Elm Street', it's absolutely 'Dream Warriors'. It's hands down my favorite of the series for so many different reasons, and I consider it to be the quintessential Freddy flick of the franchise next to the original. To put it plainly, this is where the franchise starts to transform into a mainstream attraction, as well as where it starts to get really fun while maintaining a solid sense of horror.
To thank for this, we have a few legends behind the wheel, starting with original creator, Wes Craven, coming in to do some of the writing. Wes is joined here by the less well-known Bruce Wagner and the one and only Frank Darabont, who we all now associate with his work on 'The Walking Dead' among many other famous titles (instead of listing them all, check out his IMDb page). This would all be capped off with co-writer and director Chuck Russel, who would go on to direct 1987's 'The Blob', but perhaps most famously, 'The Mask'; one of the all-time Jim Carrey fan favorites. That balance of horror, comedy and drama negotiated between these four filmmakers really comes through here, and despite apparent high tensions on set, the final product became the best 'Elm Street' could be. I think that when you generalize Freddy Krueger movies, and the idea that he's after a group of kids, killing them off in different and imaginative ways, this is the catalyst for that. Every sequel beyond this would pretty much follow suit, with the exceptions of 'New Nightmare' (which has a different take on Freddy) and 'Freddy vs Jason' (where he gets but one kill). Even when the original film was remade, that general concept was one thing they did right. Further to that, it actually represents a lot of firsts for the franchise. This was the first time Freddy really got into the one-liners; the first time the dreams were really given a much more surreal atmosphere; the first time group dreaming was implemented in the series (way before 'Inception'); the first time a metal band did a specific theme for an 'Elm Street' film ('Dream Warriors' is a classic theme right up there with 'Ghostbusters' or 'Men in Black'). The list goes on. For yours truly, I tend to also see this as the best story of the original six. Once again, a lot of that has to do with the idea that it tackles mental health in its own way. In the movie's brilliance, it illustrates just how scary a place like a psychiatric hospital can be, along with how scary a place like your own mind can be. It tackles a few serious things here and there, but does so with a dark sense of humor, while maintaining that they're issues not to be taken lightly. That's a hard thing to do, and sounds contradictory, but the film makes it work. While Freddy uses the mental health of these kids to is advantage, and this is sounding about as messed up as it can get, please keep in mind that it's called 'Dream Warriors' for a reason. It all starts with the nightmares of Kristen Parker (Patricia Arquette), who builds a model of Nancy Thompson's now iconic house (that house would become a character just as popular as Freddy, himself) in her spare time. One horrible night, as Freddy manipulates her dreams, he leads Kristen to her bathroom where something happens that has her sent to Westin Hills Psychiatric Hospital. Here, Kristen meets the likes of several other kids who seemingly share the same bad nightmares, featuring the same creepy guy. While they all maintain that the next time they sleep could be their last, the doctors and nurses maintain that their nightmares are much deeper than some burnt-faced slasher trying to off them all one by one. Enter Nancy Thompson (Heather Langenkamp) who comes to save the day, so to speak, as she has spent the last few years earning an education to become a therapist and dream researcher. Nancy immediately realizes that the kids are dreaming of Freddy; her old nemesis, back to pick up where he left off. Through Kristen, however, Nancy discovers that the group can use dream powers to help them in the fight against Krueger. That, to me, is where the movie really shines. For as dark and potentially triggering as some of this stuff could be, the importance of it is that it reminds those who suffer that they're not alone. With the introduction of group dreaming through Kristen's ability to pull people into her dreams, they are able to fight the good fight. My personal take on 'Dream Warriors' is that, once again, Freddy is very representative to these kids' worst anxieties. To me, this is one big metaphor for the battle against mental health problems. These kids each have some sort of personal battle to fight aside from Freddy. Until Nancy comes into the picture, their best help comes from doctors who don't entirely grasp what the real problem is. All seem to represent care at different levels. Neil Gordon's (Craig Wasson) the average guy who shows concern and wants to do what's right; Elizabeth Simms (Priscilla Pointer) is the stubborn caregiver who wants what's best for you, but thinks she knows what that is; and Max (Laurence Fishburne) is the best friend type, who may let you get away with more than he should. But much as it is with mental health problems, the film shows that it takes a certain level of direct understanding from Nancy before real progress can be made. One might think I read too deeply into things here, but art is open to interpretation, and I feel this is no exception. It's 'Elm Street' at its best. Body Count: 6 Total: 20 5/5
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