Taking nothing away from a young Johnny Depp, the first Elm Street had its share of wooden performaces. The younger cast in particular was obviously finding its acting legs at the time. It was B-level acting for a B-level movie (albeit one which would soar to great heights,) and although it doesn't detract from the experience, it does nothing to elevate it either. Now, while nobody would ever mistake the third movie for Oscar bait, the characters did have more life and depth to them. Part of it was that the story simply demanded individuality of each character, but the cast itself hits an excellent pitch that adds to the general atmosphere of dread. The first act, for example, would be far less effective if the kids weren't able to get across the creeps they were experiencing thanks to their shared nightmare. Conversely, it's rather hard to envision any of the characters from the original playing a compelling ward of the state. In all likelihood, the increasing profile of the franchise was enough to aim higher in the thespian department€ sadly, things would go south immediately with Dream Master, starting with Patricia Arquette's replacement.