Platinum Dunes' remake of "A Nightmare on Elm Street" had a test screening last week in El Segundo, Calif., and one attendee submitted their lukewarm reaction to Ain't it Cool News.

First, it's only one opinion, yet it does present an early opportunity to address several concerns. But we must keep in mind that the print screened was a work in progress, with temporary effects, sound, editing.

That said, let's start with the rating. Can we envision a return to the dark, no-nonsense horror of the original film suddenly constrained by the frightening limitations of a PG-13 rating?

"I don't recall seeing much hard core 'gore' besides slashes, blood and Freddy's hand suddenly appearing through someone's chest, possibly leaving open the possibility of a PG-13 rating?" said the Ain't it Cool News source identified only as Skin Peeler.

Forcing a PG-13 on an "Elm Street" film is ludicrous -- especially when a studio has the audacity to remake Wes Craven's 1984 classic, which featured some spectacular and disturbing carnage with the deaths of Tina (Amanda Wyss) and Glen (Johnny Depp).

This remake requires a serious and nasty vibe. An R rating -- or NC-17 in our dreams -- is the only route to matching or succeeding Craven's flick. What a PG-13 delivers is an alienated fan base, and an enthusiasm-sapping hobble.

Platinum Dunes was clearly on track early on by casting Jackie Earle Haley ("Watchmen") as Krueger. That's one aspect of the film that didn't concern me.

The cackling clown that Krueger morphed into in the later sequels has no place here, and Peeler's reaction suggests Haley and the script at least met that challenge.

"Haley's portrayal seems to be no nonsense, to the point, smarmy, ugly, repulsive and just plain vile ... what you would expect from a child molester and it fits the story," Peeler said.

Now that's the Krueger I know and love!

However, though the story does have some great set ups, it apparently falls short because of characters you could care less about and their snooze-inducing load of '90210'-caliber baggage.

Not much attention was given to the horror side of the tale either.

"The audience was definitely given some jumps; however, it's overdone and hides the lack of any real horror," Peeler explained. "The cheap scares become like little Snickers bites in a bag of Halloween candy: a quick jolt but soon forgotten.

"'A Nightmare on Elm Street's' story, dialog and acting don't quite match the imagery. The beautiful scenes in the trailer led me to believe this remake might be a serious 'Hellraiser' caliber horror film ... maybe not 'Jacob's Ladder' but possibly 'Mindnight Meat Train.' I'm afraid to say as it's in 'The Unborn' territory: slick production value with little meat to sink your teeth into. Typical Hollywood grindhouse ..."

Well, this just sounds bad at this point! I was looking forward to the rebirth of the franchise. The focus on humor that took flight in "A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors" killed the demented Krueger of the first two films. A remake potentially offers a welcome return to his unnerving roots not witnessed since 1985.

So it looks like Platinum Dunes has a bit of a mess to sweep up. Perhaps it was their own mess to begin with. Did they meddle with first-time director Samuel Bayer or the script too much?

Trimming the '90210' bunk, upping the horror and delivering a hard R rating would be a great start should Peeler's concerns prove true.

Another key to this film's success will be the score by Steve Jablonsky ("Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen," 2009's "Friday the 13th"). It was likely not part of this print since he only recently joined the project. I have little faith the soundtrack can save it though. Most horror film scores drop the ball -- too safe, too forgettable. Rarely do we see the results that John Carpenter crafted with his score for "Halloween," where the music dramatically heightened the imagery's intensity.

Maybe Platinum Dunes should play it safe and reuse Charles Bernstein's score note for note; at least the remake would guarantee an appropriately creepy vibe.

Hopefully all this fuss is simply the byproduct of an incomplete cut. We don't need another failed remake watered down for the sniveling pre-teen crowd, especially a film that explores the origins of one of horror's most iconic villains. Krueger deserves better.

"Nightmare On Elm Street" is based on a script by Eric Heisserer and Wesley Strick ("Wolf," "Cape Fear").

The film hits theaters April 30, 2010, and also stars Kyle Gallner (Jennifer's Body"), Rooney Mara (Urband Legends: Bloody Mary"), Thomas Dekker ("Laid To Rest", "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles"), Kellan Lutz ("The Twilight Saga: New Moon), Katie Cassidy ("Taken," "Supernatural") and Clancy Brown ("Carnivàle," "The Burrowers").

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Read the entire test screening review at Ain't it Cool News.