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A Nightmare On Elm Street 5: The Dream Child

5 star:		(38)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(28)
2 star:		(22)
1 star:		(18)

 

 

A Nightmare On Elm Street The Dream Child, the fifth of the series, begins with our heroin, Alice (Lisa Wilcox, returning from the fourth film) taking a shower after a romantic night with her boyfreind, Dan (Danny Hassal, also returning from the fourth film). She has a horrible nightmare of Amanda Krueger being locked in the asylum with the inmates, who rape her. Alice is diturbed by this incident, but Dan tells her it's no big deal. She starts to forget about it, until that night, when walking to work, she has another nightmare, and this time it's about Freddy, himself! So, Krueger's back! But how? He's somehow getting to her freinds and killing them off, even though Alice is awake! How's he doing it? Well, that romantic night with Dan made baby, who's slowly growing in her stomach. Baby's spend almost 75 to 80 percent of their day in sleep, so Freddy has found the simplest way to get into the teens dreams! Alice says "NO" to the thought of abortion, but now her freinds are all dropping like flies! How can she save them? The answer is in Amanda Krueger, who's soul is stuck in the old, closed down, asylum. Alice must race against time to find her and free her soul, because everyone's life is depending on it!

Part 5 is not my favorite NOES (Nightmare On Elm Street) film. It's actually my least favorite, but it's still quite good. Lisa Wilcox is great as Alice, and Mr. Robert Englund still hasn't forgotten how to play Freddy. It's at this point Freddy is now Eddie Murphy. It started with Part 4. Freddy now has lost all ability to scare, and I don't think he's trying to anymore. He's pretty funny in this wacky entry, however. Some good jokes ("Put your petal to the metal, Dan!") and witty dialouge make it much better. Whitby Heartford (did I spell that right) has a small, but important role as Jacob. Heartferd would go on to have a very small part in Jurrasic Park (he's the kid who comments about the dinosour bones on the computer as being "Not very scary, but more like a six foot turkey"). He's a talented young actor, though. The movie has a very dreamy feeling, and the scene with Greta at a dinner party is the dreamiest any scene from a series has gotton!

The DVD is great, dispite lack of features. Most of us fans know that the features are in the bonus disk in the box set (which I bought, and loved) but the picture on the disk is clean, pretty much flawless, and the sound can beat the stereo by miles. Just go and swith the two sounds, Stereo and 5.1 surround, around to notice the difference. Great sound! As is usual, you get "Jump to a nightmare", which I rarely use, and the production notes (interesting), as well as standard scene selection and english subtitles. For DVD-Rom you get a trivia game, the whole script, and links to online websites. Only dissipointment with this disk is it's not the unrated version, but instead, the R-Rated version. I have the unrated version on an old tape, and while there's not to much difference, I would have thought they'd use the uncut version. The only differences are a much more gruesome deathe sequence for poor Dan. His face is shown being ripped off and a needle comes from behind his seat to stab him. Also, Greta's death is a tad longer. Freddy scoops some food out of a hole in her stomach and says "You are what you eat". That line is in the theatrical version, but makes more sense with that shot in there.

All in all, I recommend this entry. It may be the weakest, but it's still darn enjoyable!

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The Dream Child actually has a plot and is one of the best nightmare on elm streets! I am surprised by that because the 4th installment had no plot at all and most people gave that movie great reviews. Anyways, this is a huge improvement over that tame movie.

The Dream child reminds me much more of Jim Henson's Labryinth than the 4th one which had a few scenes similar to that movie. This movie is not a dark comedy like most of the other sequels. This is a horror drama with some grotesque deaths and violence. The visual effects are creepy, well done, and really cool. The score is also really good.

Overall this film has a more gothic and morose tone to it. Some of the movie takes place inside a labyrinthine church asylum. The acting is also really good which makes this movie seem all the more scary. Some of the deaths in this movie are pretty creative and somewhat over the top.

This is a good horror drama and it is not campy at all, although Freddy does say his one-liners but this time he says it with malice.

This movie picks up only about a year after the other movie left off, and much to most people's surprise, it does seem to deliver another good installment, so why was it not that well liked? The answer: pacing. The script was obviously very long-winded and it seems that among the crew members that should help this get cut down to interesting (producer, director, editor) no one seemed to be able to work out these kinks. The result is a nice addition to the Freddy collection, but unfortunately you may find yourself halfway to dreamland yourself while you wait for the plot to unfold.

Alice and Dan return from the previous movie, deeply in love with eachother and celebrating their high school graduation. Things seem to be moving along great except that Alice keeps getting little hints that Freddy might be trying to come back. For some reason this idea is proposterous and even if it was possible, the first death (which happens to be Dan's) occurs while both Alice and Dan are awake! While Alice tries to discover how Freddy can be working without anyone being asleep, her friends begin to yet again become victims of Freddy. Eventually Alice discovers that she is pregnant and when her unborn child sleeps, Freddy is free to enter Alice's world and attack her friends. Now Alice has to figure out how she can defeat Kruger while also preventing her unborn son from becoming his prodigy in the process.

This movie did have an incredible feel to it, and although I have no idea who the Art Director was, I do tip my hat to them. The look has this dark gothic feel to it whenever her child begins to dream. I also liked the seemingly obvious planning involved in the sets as they all tend to transform from normal to creepy with the greatest of ease. The performances don't really lack, with none of the acting coming off as humerous, and Robert England delivers another great performance as Freddy Kruger. I also liked the attempt they made at making this movie a little more scary than the previous film had been. My only real complaint deals with the pacing, many people will tune out because it just takes to long for the movie to progress. Because the writer didn't want to reveal that Alice's child is the cause of the whole situation until later, you wander through the first half of the film with a puzzled look.

The DVD gets a little bit of an upgrade with special features. The movie is presented in widescreen and I'm happy to see the 5.1 although by this point it's expected. The DVD-ROM features add the script and trivia questions and of course we have our "Jump To A Dream" sequence. In conclusion, this movie was visually stunning, but the writing was paced so slowly that the 89 mins the movie lasts feels more like two hours! I think the script was really skimpy in actual plot that it had to be filled with fluffer back story on Amanda Kruger which I don't really care about at this point. If you like the series, and especially if you liked Part 4, check this one out. Otherwise, this is not of the most show off posibilities in the series.

In 1989, director Stephen Hopkins had decided that it was time for another installment to A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET. This fifth installment is entitled, A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 5: THE DREAM CHILD.

After defeating Freddy in the fourth film, ALICE JOHNSON (again played by Lisa Wilcox) has lived her life happy, although it was tough without her brother, Rick. But Alice has been in a healthy relationship with her boyfriend, DAN JORDAN (again played by DANNY HASSEL), while her father, DENNIS JOHNSON (again played by Nicolas Mele) is seeking help for his alcoholism problem, by going to the AA meetings. The night before their high school graduation, Alice and Dan...sleep with each other.

Alice gets out of bed and jumps in the shower. But the weird thing is, Freddy Krueger sh*t starts happening. The drain to the shower clogs, the water pressure becomes more powerful, filling up the shower. The door opens and Alice is pushed right out. She finds herself in the asylum, where AMANDA KRUEGER (played by Beatrice Boepple) became impregnated with Freddy. The room is full of the 100 hundred maniacs, who raped Amanda. Alice finds herself dressed as a nun, with Amanda's name tag. The staff leaves her there, with the maniacs' eyes starring at her, crucial and hungry for sex. As they reach for her, Alice wakes up, next to Dan. But Dan turns into one of the maniacs. But Alice realizes she is safe at home.

It's Graduation Day. Alice and Dan have graduated with a new batch of friends: GRETA GIBSON (played by Erika Anderson), YVONNE (played by Kelly Jo Minter), & MARK GREY (played by Joe Hurly). They talk about having a pool party, where Yyvonne practices her diving. Yvonne likes the idea, since she'll be the one closing up for the night. Alice can't make it because she has to work.

Dan pulls her aside where he tells her that he has a trip planned for the two of them to Paris for the summer. Dan's parents pull him aside about a scholarship because of his athletic abilities, leaving Alice to herself, wondering her father is. Her father did show up, but didn't want to embarass her.

While on her way to work, Alice slips into a dreamstate, where she being wheeled into a delivery room. As she screams, she looks past the doctors and finds herself standing with the doctors. On the gurney is Amanda Krueger, readying the birth of Freddy. Freddy is born. The disfigured little creature enters the Chapel, where Alice had defeated Freddy before. He finds the clothing and fits right in. FREDDY KRUEGER (again played by Robert Englund) has returned once again. Amanda stands at the doors, trying to Alice how to defeat him again, but Freddy shuts her out. Alice finds herself at the diner, four hours late. Alice had a nightmare, Freddy's back. But how? Alice was not asleep. She calls Dan at the pool place, where he is having a good time with Greta, Mark, and Yvonne.

Dan gets the call and sets out on his way, where he falls asleep and dreams of Freddy. He crashes though his truck, back into the pool area. He finds a bike, where he is then killed. The truck crashes outside the diner, where Alice passes out. She wakes up in a hospital, where Yvonne works as a Candystriper. She gives the news to Alice, with the support of Alice's father and Dan's parents, that Dan is dead and that Alice is pregnant with Dan's child.

Greta is next in line, where Freddy shoves food into her mouth and chokes her to death. Mark had really liked Greta. Over the next day, Alice continues to see weird things. She goes to the hospital to have Yvonne and her boss perform an ultra sound, to see if her baby is okay. She has been having dreams of her baby, being a few years older. The kid's name is JACOB (played by Whit Hertford). Alice and Mark try hard to explain to Yvonne how true this is, since Mark had dreamt of him two, after Alice accidentally pulled him in. Yvonne storms out, in disbelief, thinking her closest friends are more than just insane.

Yvonne is out for her diving practices. She goes to loosen up first in the jakozee, where she nods off and dreams of Freddy. At that moment, Alice is in the dream as well. She is about to find Amanda's resting place, where Amanda had killed herself and is imprisoned in that spot of her suicide. But Freddy distracts her by using Yvonne. Alice pulls Yvonne away and the two are safe, where Yvonne finally believes Alice. At that moment, Freddy invades Marks dreams and kills him off.

Alice is outside of Mark's house, where the police and paramedics are chomping around. Yvonne pulls up, where Alice tells her to go to the tower in their dream and free Amanda Krueger. Yvonne sets out on her way, as Mr. Johnson takes Alice home. Alice falls asleep, ready to battle Freddy one last time. She finds Jacob, who she now realizes is her kid when he reaches that age. She battles Freddy, but seems to be losing. Yvonne frees Amanda's soul. Amanda now appears in Alice's dream and helps her stop Freddy once and for all. Alice has done it again. Nine months had passed and Alice is now a mommy of little Jacob Daniel Johnson-Jordan.

I was a little lost at times, while watching this one, but this sequel is one hell of a follow-up. It doesn't quite fit in because of how comical it was, but this fifth installment is more than just worthy. Weird and strange, but worthy.

Stephen Hopkins (Lost in Space, Predator 2) helmed this fifth entry into the Nightmare on Elm Street series where we find Alice (Lisa Wilcox), the survivor from the previous Dream Master, pregnant with Freddy once again on the prowl. It is here where the series begins to try to dish up more details on Freddy's past to add to the story; but hardly anything can save this dismal installment. Freddy's one liners are stupid and aren't funny one bit, the acting is simply horrid (Robert Englund just looks more bored in his role than ever before), and the film as a whole isn't scary one bit. The few saving graces of The Dream Child are Hopkins' stylish direction and some nice kills and gore effects, but for the most part this entry is just plain dull.

SIGH....I really wanted to like this one. With the 5th installment of Nightmare we get a very dark abstract, gritty version of the familiar tale. Freddy is taken back to his roots so to speak getting rid of the comedy of the 4th film, (which is my favorite) and replacing it with dark original horror movie feel. Freddy also gets a new face from the original makeup artist. This all sounds great right? NO!!! Its awful.
I was really disappointed. If you're going to take the humor out of Freddy, then it has to be really scary, and this movie just doesn't deliver the goods. With no suspenseful scenes, and no one-liners to make up for it, this movie is just plain boring. (Although there are a few one-liners, they're really awful and Englund looks bored just saying them.)
Although the plot links in beautifully with the fourth film, this one ends up being pretty pointless as you'll find yourself saying, "Yeah, okay," by the end. There are no good deaths scenes in this film, which is a true sin for Nightmare films, and the plot is just recycled from the fourth film with the baby plot thrown in for good measure. And man, is that little boy annoying.
To get a sense of why this movie failed its a good idea to watch the interview with the director. He doesn't seem to be all that interested in the film himself, as he continually criticizes horror movies and even goes as far as criticizing parts of the series itself. Can we say "I did it for the paycheck?" It shows.
I've always been bitter that this one could have really opened the door to a different kind of Nightmare movie. With Freddy's ability to takeover Alice while she's awake means he could have taken on all the children of the town on a grader more elaborate level which definitely would have made it scarier. Instead we get a low body count, cheesy death scenes, and random plot twists about his mom. Avoid!

This movie was cool. But what i didn't like about it was it was to dark to gothic I think.But it was a good movie not the best in the series but it is a good sequel to the series. There were good kills like the comic book,or Dan on the motocycle, or when Freddy shoves food into the girls mouth. Great memorable death scenes in this movie. Also the special effects are just great! On the dvd it has great sound great looks.Its clear. The dvd shows a pretty nice clear presentation. Compare to what I saw on the vhs version. But the vhs version is not bad because it is the uncut one. The dvd dosen't have the uncut one. But if you like the uncut one just rent it. But the uncut isen't really different but if you really want to watch it you can go rent it.
The dvd is cool cause the menus are cool. The sound is just marvelous and it is just great dvd for your horror collection I think. My favorite part in the movie has to be the comic book part.

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From Your Friendly Courtsey Neighboorhood Davy Crockett

One of the BEST I've seen in the 'Nightmare' series would have to be this fifth installment, "A Nightmare On Elm Street 5: The Dream Child". Sure it's quite possibly the weakest of the bunch due to that it lacks even more horror and suspense than the fourth did. However, the improved special effects and the disturbing visuals make up for it. Alice (of NOES 4) returns once again to battle the evil monster, Freddy Krueger after discovering what may become of her unborn child. After her boyfriend, Danny dies, Alice (with the help of her friends) tries to solve the mystery to how Freddy is killing them all off one by one even when she is not asleep to pull them in! I'd have to say that the jokes and humor may be a little weak in this one, but it somehow proves to be a worthy sequel next to 'The Dream Master'. Filled with spectacular performances, imagination, and spellbound revelations, NOES 5 is sure to attract even the most hardcore Freddy fan! CHECK IT OUT!!!

Although one of the weaker movies in the "Nightmare on Elm Street" series, "A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child" is still decent, and even good. It's not the best, and it's not the worst. Just when you thought it was finally safe to go back to sleep again, Freddy is once again lurking the shadows of your nightmares, just waiting to fuel his murderous rage once again.

Alice might've put an end to Freddy's rampage in the fourth movie, but something isn't right. She's having nightmares again and is losing control of her dreams. One of the nightmares takes her back to the very church that contains Freddy's soul. Resurrected once again, Freddy is anxiously waiting to get his hands bloody again, and an unborn child is the key for him to get back into everybody's nightmares. This time, Freddy's more powerful and unstoppable than before. Chances look very dim for poor Alice and her unborn child.

It isn't the scariest one of them all, and it certainly doesn't have the grandest of scripts, but it is still an enjoyable Freddy movie. Anytime Freddy's in a movie, it's bound to be a good time. Robert Englund is again the star of the movie and really makes it all worthwhile to watch. The acting and writing could've been a little better, but it also could've been a lot worse.

Again, this isn't the most explosive DVD you'll find, but it still has some neat upgrades. The picture and sound is really good. You have the choice of watching it in a new Dolby Digital mix that was made specifically for the DVD, or for you absolute film buffs there's the original stereo mix that's included as well. Other features include cast and crew bios along with DVD-ROM content.

The only real drawback is that this is the "R-Rated" version of the film, and not the unrated one many of us have seen on VHS. There some altered scenes, but that's because that's the way they were intended for the theatrical version, I think. It would've been nice to have the unrated version of the film instead. So that's another thing to be aware of.

"A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child" isn't the grandest of Freddy films, but it still does its job; and that's to entertain. While a lot of people don't really care much for this particular movie in the series, I still think it's worthwhile to watch. Just remember that it's NEVER safe to go back to sleep, no matter how much you believe Freddy is gone...

A Nightmare on Elm Street 5 reeks of a bad script. Don't even bother with this film. I feel that Part 4 and 5 really should not have been added to the series but Part 5 is the worst of the two and without question the worst of the sequels.