Worst Nightmare Film - By Far
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child
hexedd — 12 years ago(November 04, 2013 09:03 PM)
I love most of the series, but this one just totally went off the rails. It's not the slightest bit scary, because there isn't any tension leading up to the Freddy kills. He just pops in and out with ridiculous cheesy lines and kills them in the most asinine and hilarious manner. I found myself laughing for most of it, and cringing at the other half because the dialogue and general feel was just terrible. It has none of the tension and freaky elements that were present in much of the first few. I've re-watched this about 3 times over the years, every time hoping I will find something in it I like, but the more times I watch it, the more I despise it. It is, in my opinion, the worst of the series, and has basically zero redeeming features. The acting is awful, the dialogue is awful, and the effects are particularly awful. I don't even think it deserves to have the series title. Do you think the cast and crew knew how bad it was going to be? I mean, surely when the "comic book" fight happens between Mark and Freddy they had to know how terrible it would be. If I were a part of this I'd probably have stopped several times and asked the director: "Are you for real?" It is classified as a horror and comedy and I can see why. Although, unlike Ed Wood films and many other horror films, it's not so-bad-it's-good, it's just bad.
Anyway, just my thoughts. Feel free to agree or disagree. -
halcyonsummer — 11 years ago(June 14, 2014 04:08 AM)
I don't think it surpasses part 2 in awfulness, but it sure isn't one of my favorites. Part 2 is just ridiculously dull to me and a real chore to sit through. This one doesn't hold a candle to the original or parts 3 and 4 but I don't think anything in any of the top horror series of the 80s got anywhere near as bad as part 2 of the Elm Street series. It was so bad I'm amazed people actually trusted New Line again and showed up for a third film. Freddy's Dead is also worse than this, I think. Basically I'd place this as the third worse.
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KitchenKnives — 11 years ago(July 09, 2014 01:10 PM)
I like part 2. The pacing reminds me of Stephen King's IT and I find the whole premise far less chessy than Dream Warriors. This one though there's almost nothing to it. Just pointless scene after pointless scene, at least the ones in part 2 are leading somewhere.
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AdrianLePier — 11 years ago(June 17, 2014 11:15 AM)
I agree. I think this film is quite good, in terms of scenery, quasi-interesting plot and faux-eeriness. But in terms of scariness and plain ahead terror, this one barely rates and is at the very bottom of the series. I'd argue that Freddy is scarier in Freddy's Dead than he is here. I see what they were trying to do here, with the more serious TONE and aesthetic, but the execution fell totally flat.
THE TALK ASYLUMComing in September!
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MaximumMadness — 11 years ago(July 18, 2014 09:25 AM)
I actually admired this film moreso than most other people. True, the storyline and "rules" were out there, but I appreciated the effort to change it up a bit and go for more provocative themes, even when it didn't quite work. The fact that they were mindful enough of the original audience (who were beginning to get older and at the age where they were likely thinking about starting families themselves) also shows to me that this was an honest effort to keep the series "special" for the fans. Even if it didn't work. And I honestly found it to be arguably one of the most visually stunning and well-directed entries in the franchise. The "Death Cycle" (at least in its uncut form) was incredible, and while patchy and weird, the climax was very well constructed.
I think it's a very flawed film, but I appreciate it. And I definitely wouldn't call it the worst in the series by any stretch. I'd take this over the bizarro
Freddy's Dead
or the dreadful reboot any day of the week.
And FURTHERMORE, this is my signature! SERIOUSLY! Did you think I was still talking about my point? -
MaximumMadness — 11 years ago(July 18, 2014 12:18 PM)
Very true, haha. The only thing I liked about the reboot was Jackie Earle Haley. I thought he was as good a replacement as was possible. But literally everything else fell apart for me in the reboot.
I wish Christopher Johnson could've gotten the job. (He has a trailer he made for his own reboot concept online. Check it out sometime.) Met him a few times and he's a great guy, and he had some cool ideas for where he wanted to take the reboot.
And FURTHERMORE, this is my signature! SERIOUSLY! Did you think I was still talking about my point? -
spank-my-17 — 11 years ago(January 10, 2015 08:11 PM)
But part 6 is by far the worst!? I didn't like this one, but to say that it's the worst is wrong imo. Part 6 is so cartoonishly horrible and weird.. Freddy is like Wile E. Coyote and the deaths are so bland. (Dropping pins down and scratching on chalkboard? The NES game?) the whole thing is a mess..
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michaeluk26 — 10 years ago(June 04, 2015 09:28 PM)
By far the biggest problem for me is reintroducing Amanda Krueger and her saying her body needed to be found to defeat Freddy when she never mentioned a damn thing about it in part 3. That seems like something she would have mentioned. I can handle continuity problems, but no shoehorning in past elements like that.
Haters gonna hate -
brandonhelee — 10 years ago(November 14, 2015 11:02 PM)
Most certainly not at least in my very humble opinion that honor goes to the still great and cool remake.
The remake is the weakest entry in the franchise but that doesn't mean I don't love it because I most certainly do love the film.
Elm Street 5 has a cool progression of it's predecessors plot and some cool ideas. -
pecinqa — 10 years ago(November 15, 2015 10:05 AM)
Having recently watched the films I'd have to agree that this one is the worst of the series (personally I don't include F vs J, or the remake). This one was the worst because it tried to be scary, but fell well short of the mark. There's usually something to appreciate in the ANOES films, but outside of Robert Englund's performance (as always) and some special effects there's really nothing here.
I actually enjoyed Freddy's Dead more. At least that film was aware it was off-the-rails and reveled in it. In terms of entertainment it was much more bearable to watch than Dream Child.
Having said that, I'm still not very fond of Freddy's Dead. Personally my bottom three ANOES films are 2, 5 and 6.
