You just can't keep a bad guy down. They tried burning him, burying him, altogether forgetting him, but like the good cash-cow he is, Freddy just can't stay down. Hot on the heels of the successful "A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master," this fifth installment finds our crispy anti-hero dwelling in the dreams on an unborn child. The unborn child of Alice, survivor of the last film, and seemingly the only way Freddy can still live on -- because babies dream in the womb, right? It's an interesting concept and a unique way of bringing Freddy back for another round, but let's not kid ourselves. The franchise was running out of steam by 1989 (much like the "Friday the 13th" and "Halloween" franchises were) and it shows in this film. Despite some truly nightmarish imagery and a few memorable death scenes, "A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child" doesn't have much else to offer. Director Stephen Hopkins has a good eye for dark, Gothic images, but obviously didn't know how to make a good horror movie, let alone a good "Nightmare" flick. What this film lacks is both suspense and character development. The previous installments in the series worked well because they had characters that seemed to reflect real-life teenagers and we got to know them as the film progressed. Unfortunately, despite some recurring characters, there isn't much to follow. Before we can even get to know the newest members of the ever-rotating cast, they are picked off before the movie even reaches the midpoint, and none of their deaths involve any suspense, or genuine horror, for that matter. Now, one of the film's strengths is that, despite the lack of tension, the nightmares in this film are quite nightmarish. Save for an A-Ha video re-hash, you will walk away from this film remembering it's stark, uninviting visuals. It's all style over substance, however, and it's easy to see why even New Line decided to put their money-maker to rest in the following film, even if it was temporary. "A Nightmare on Elm Street 5" is worth watching for the Freddy enthusiast, but is one of the weaker entries in the series, and sorry folks, but the series gets worse before it gets better...
....next stop: "Freddy's Dead"
....next stop: "Freddy's Dead"