Josh-A-Tron
Super Freak
I'm really not gonna start hating on P-Diddy, because I actually like the character & the first 2 Hellraiser films. So I'll just jump to Freddy's defence, instead, without resorting to more Pinhead insults.
Freddy was comedic even in the first film. It's his thing. Yes, he became more comedic & the films more light-hearted from 3 onwards, although 5 was actually pretty dark, but trying to make out that Freddy somehow became a 'joke', as you call him, just makes no sense for the very reason I've just stated. Humour has always played a big part of his inimitable style.
& you praise Pinhead for bringing something new to the horror genre because, as you rightly say, he did something that hadn't been done before. & what about Freddy? Were there lots of movie serial killers killing people in their dreams before he came along? You want an original horror creation, well there it is in a nutshell. & the fact that Freddy exudes comedic charm & charisma thanks to Robert Englund's wonderful performance clearly sets him apart from the regular hoi polloi of horror movie antagonists. Although that's not to say he's unique, in that regard. Pinhead also exudes charm & wit & Chucky is, like Freddy, very comedic in his murderous approach.
So praise for Pinhead is something I actually agree with. But your criticism of Freddy just doesn't hold water. If you don't like the character, that's one thing, but a joke he never became as he didn't outstay his welcome. 6 films & then dead. He, at least, bowed out with some dignity. Spinoffs & remakes not withstanding.
Oh no, don't mistake me for a Freddy hater, sir. I loved Freddy, all the way up to Dream Warriors. However you will notice when watching the films the Comedy aspect of the Freddy character elevates as the films go on. In the First Nightmare it's not even comedy so much has his sadistic pleasure in making them scream. The Second, a pun here and there, and the Third a few more but not really anything crazy. Once Dream Master came out it basically makes him so much less scary and much more ridiculous. To the point where I find myself no longer feeling threatened by the character and have to take the rest of the series as Dark Comedies instead of straight up horror films. Robert Englund is Freddy, always will be but the last 4 films, including New Nightmare towards the end, well it just feels like they lost the character along the way.
Its really too bad they took such liberties with Freddy's character in the remake, Jackie Earl Haley could have been a great Freddy if they had let him show just how vicious the character was originally.