Review: Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991)

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but nothing will ever kill me.”
- Freddy Krueger

So, here we have another one. Again.

This Nightmare On Elm Street movie revolves around the story of Maggie Burroughs (Lisa Zane), a social worker trying to help kids in the system. There are a few troubled kids, but her latest one is a whole different kettle of fish altogether. Spencer (Breckin Meyer) hates his father, and openly rebels, and is also a major stoner. He comes in and butts heads with the other kids that have their own tight knight little crew thing going for them: Tracy (Lezlie Deane) is a hardcore chick that does not take crap from anyone, no matter who they (think) they are and Carlos (Ricky Dean Logan), a kid that has difficulty hearing, and so makes use of a hearing aid. He joins their rank, when in the midst of it all a crazy kid, John Doe (Shon Greenblatt) makes an appearance at the youth centre type thing where the kids hang out.

John Doe is picked up by cops, and dropped at this youth centre. He has serious amnesia, and cannot remember a thing. What he does not remember is being hunted by Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund). Freddy has finally wiped out all the kids he possibly can in Springwood and all associated with them, and is desperate to cast his net wider: he needs fresh souls for the torturing and pickings. John Doe is supposed to be Freddy’s ticket out of Springwood, where he has depleted his supply of kids after Alice Johnson (Lisa Wilcox) moved herself and her child out of there a decade ago. The only thing that John Doe has is a clipping of Loretta Krueger in his pocket: nothing more, nothing less.

Maggie offers to help John Doe find out more about his past, and about Springfield and Loretta Krueger if it will help him regain his memory. The other kids choose to use this as an opportunity to escape from their families as well as the youth centre, and pile themselves into the back of the van to Springfield. After a conversation with the wise Doc (Yaphet Kotto), Maggie realizes that dreams could be a reality, or could break into reality, but that they could also be fought if you were strong enough. Not really buying into any of the crazy, they leave for Springfield, which is a dilapidated and decrepit town with absolutely no children in sight. That should have set off alarm bells, but no. Maggie discovers the attempted escape plan happening in the back of the truck, and insists that they other kids return to the youth centre. She and John Doe start to patrol the area, the school, and find out more about Freddy Krueger than they would have liked.

All the kids get sucked into the terrible story when they stop at 1428 Elm Street and break in to spend the night. Meanwhile, Maggie and John have learned of Freddy’s identity, as well as the fact that he had a child taken away from him when he was arrested all those years ago. When Freddy kills John Doe, he is around long enough to tell Maggie that he thinks he was Freddy’s child. However, Maggie soon discovers she is the missing and previously never mentioned child of a murderous psychopath, and forgotten memories bombard her. She is going to have to take daddy on, and beat him to keep him at bay once and for all. Tracy and Doc tell the group about the importance of meditation  as they can use that as their weapon of relaxation into Freddy’s world. We learn that Freddy was imbued with the powers he has by the Dream Demons, who propositioned him with endless power and immortality, all in exchange for being their agent. Naturally, Freddy accepts, and is imbued with his powers.

Is Maggie strong enough to fight her father and stop the future atrocities from happening? Can she prevent him from torturing the children that have snuck off to Springwood with her?

Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare earns itself a 5.5/10. Only marginally better than A Nightmare On Elm Street: The Dream Child, it still has a bit more going for it. I was enthralled with the story of Freddy’s “happy” life falling to pieces when his wife discovers his dark and evil play room, and well as Freddy’s insinuations that they could head up a family business together in the horror industry. I really did like to see more of Freddy’s story prior to being apprehended, freed and then murdered. It was very well done to see his childhood, and all the atrocities that shaped the man that would go on to murder children.  Definitely not the worst sequel they could have brought to the table, but not the best either. I just love it as I cannot get enough of the cheese and all that is Freddy Krueger. The man, the character, is a legend, and I love it.