We can all agree that there is no taking away from the original nightmare, Wes Craven's original idea for nightmare, was inspired and ingenious.
However, this film gets undue hate and criticism. From longtime fans, I recently watched the original nightmare and this remake back to back and can honestly say there are some ideas in this remake that have been fleshed out a lot better. For example the micro naps and how they work has been properly explained in the remake.
Where as in the original it is never hit upon that your brain will shut down for micro naps. A great example of this is in the original there is a scene where Nancy has just gotten off of the phone to Glen's parents And her phone rings as soon as she is hang up on from Glen's parents, when she answers the phone we hear screeching down the line so that we know she's fallen asleep instantly, or maybe she's not as she then goes and has a conversation with her mother and her father and the line there is very blurred to whether she's asleep or awake and there is no knowledge of micro naps throughout the movie.
Freddy's backstory in the remake though controversial has a little bit more depth to it than the first original nightmare. Obviously later on the nightmare series would keep expanding and digging and adding new lore to Freddy's background. However, in 2010 when this was released if someone was new to the series then this has a more fleshed out reason and backstory to why he was killed.
Going back to the original it is just stated that he was a child murderer which in itself is still motive. However, this one fleshes that story out further.
In short , I think the issue is when trying to remake something as beloved as a nightmare on Elm Street, you will always ruffle their feathers of the diehard fan base, there are very little new remakes of classic properties that people have enjoyed, and this is usually due to their own venom. A remake does not erase the original. It's simply reignites the fire for people to go back and share their love. We should all be a lot less critical of something that we can't do ourselves. I imagine with the upcoming remake of the crow. The reviews are going to be 50-50 at best, but the lovers and diehard fans of the original will be lampooning, the remake, but again it doesn't detract from the original.
