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"Star Trek Into Darkness" Available for Pre-order on Blu-ray and DVD
From director J.J. Abrams comes the next installment in the Star Trek saga, Star Trek Into Darkness. See it at Cinemark theaters now and pre-order on Blu-ray, 3D Blu-ray, DVD, and the Exclusive Starfleet Phaser Gift Set. Shop Star Trek Into Darkness and more in the Star Trek Store. Learn more |
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As her friends succumb one by one to Freddy's wrath, telepathically gifted Kristen embarks on a desperate mission to destroy the satanic dream stalker and release the tortured souls of his victims once and for all.
Directed by Renny Harlin (The Long Kiss Goodnight, Die Hard 2) and loaded with killer effects and drop-dead humor, this is a "superior horror picture that balances wit and gore with imagination and intelligence" (L.A. Times).
I think the film starts off very effectively, wisely holding off on the introduction of Freddy until such time as the audience has settled in to the story. This is particularly important because one of the three returning survivors from the previous film, Kristen, is now played by Tuesday Knight rather than Patricia Arquette. Kristen is crucial to this film because she has the power to pull other people into her nightmares, and this serves as the conduit for Freddy's reappearance. The physical manifestation of Freddy's rebirth is quite memorable, informing us of one special liquid that obviously nullifies the power of holy water. I think the film also does a fairly good job of introducing us to the new "fresh meat," and this becomes important because the new dream master who emerges here (Alice played by Lisa Wilcox) incorporates aspects of each of the victims in terms of her own strength for the final fight against Freddy. As for our Freddy, he wastes no time in getting back to work after his return, and this film boasts some very colorful, impressive kills: the Jaws scene is a true classic. The sight of Robert Englund in a nurse's outfit is pretty darn hard to force out of your head, but with one exception (that being the roach motel kill) I found all of Freddy's ingenious handiwork quite a joy to watch.
Is the movie perfect? No. Besides the one unsatisfactory kill, the movie also chooses to use one terribly clichéd scene toward the beginning of the end. These small weaknesses are more than offset by the strength of the transitional storyline, the continuity of this film in the overall series, the colorful and impressive nature of the kills (and there are more kills in this movie than you will find in the first and third installments), and the wickedly funny tongue of the always delightful Mr. Krueger. Things get a little corny in the end, but this film certainly offers a memorable ending. I remember going home from the theater and worrying that this might have been the final Elm Street movie because things really aren't looking too good for our old friend Freddy when the credits start to roll. This film is not as good as the first and third films, nor does it reveal any new secrets surrounding Freddy's origins, but it is a must-see, very entertaining sojourn in Freddy's Dreamland. On a final note, viewers will certainly notice a souped-up soundtrack for this film, as Elm Street 4 injects some energetic rock and roll into the viewing experience. Let the ending credits roll if you want to hear our Freddy doing a little rapping; you don't want to miss that.
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