In my opinion,
The Dream Master might just be the most underrated movie in the
Nightmare on Elm Street series. The story this time is that Freddy (played again by Robert Englund) finally kills the last of the Elm Street kids. Before dying, Kristen (played this time by Tuesday Knight) passes her power (and to an extent the role of final girl) to her friend Alice (played by Lisa Wilcox). Alice is a daydreamer. This is something I like. It explores an aspect the franchise really hadn't up to this point. Because Alice really doesn't understand Kristen's power or to wield it, she pretty much unwittingly brings Freddy's new victims to him. As always, Englund as Freddy is having the time of his life. The rest of the cast is very hit-and-miss. Hell, some of the actors feel like they go back and forth between good and bad in the movie alone. The same goes for the kills in this movie. A couple of them feel a little too much like they are just Freddy stabs them and he's done with that. The rest of them actually do feel incredibly creative. I like the character of Alice herself. Lisa Wilcox is one of those actors who kind of seems to waver with her performance, but the character herself is decently written and developed. I like that she doesn't fully understand the burden that's been placed on her shoulders, and the guilt she feels when her friends die (these more emotional moments are where the actress's performance really does work) because she actually does see it as being her fault. Overall,
The Dream Master probably ranks third for me in the franchise (or fourth if you count
Freddy vs. Jason) behind the first and third movies, which is probably why this one doesn't get talked about too much.
7 / 10
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