Quick Movie Review: Army of Darkness (1993)

In Army of Darkness, I found myself laughing more and wanting it to end less than the previous two films. But much like Evil Dead II, the comedy lacks character and individuality. There are different types of comedy--all sorts--but these films aren't quite sure of which type they are. I'd say the closest it comes to is satire. However, it doesn't satirize the aspects that it should be half the time. And although the humor is more apparent and deliberate in this movie, I still wasn't laughing out loud as much as I wanted to.

Overall, this film is actually enjoyable for me, compared to the other two which are more eye rolling than anything else. It doesn't take itself too seriously and the tone is a little less intermittent. I love how Ash finally becomes the hero that we've wanted him to be since the very beginning. He is cooler than ever and chock full of great one-liners. But with that said, I still can't seem to get attached to his character as much as I want to.

As it's not so much a horror as it is an action-comedy, Army of Darkness should still please fans of the first two films.

Twizard Rating: 67

Quick Movie Review: Evil Dead II

While an improvement on its predecessor with a better backstory, I still found myself shaking my head quite often. Why is every character in these movies so annoying? They're always acting dumb and irrational. And although some of you may argue it, I don't think it's as intentional as you think it is. I know this "sequel" is supposed to partially be a comedy but it evokes more eye rolling than laughter. Although I do appreciate a good slapstick, the gore is constantly taking away from whatever humor is being presented.

I'm still not on board with this series, however, the art and effects are still very impressive and I enjoyed the creative call-back ending.

Twizard Rating: 59

Quick Movie Review: The Evil Dead (1981)

I'm not a huge fan of the horror genre. I like the unique ones, but the ones that exist purely for shock and awe are useless to me. The Evil Dead definitely falls into that category. Don't let its legacy fool you. Full of bad editing and gore for gore's sake, this movie borderlines pointless for me. There's never any surprises, and the characters besides Ash are annoying and never learn from their mistakes. I start off interested but never feel satisfied with the unfolding of events and the unfulfilled plot elements.

The movie just drags on and the plot is stretched way too thin. They even attempt to waste time at the end by elongating the deaths of the creatures. Most of the film is either boring or gross. The only time it gets slightly interesting is when Ash is all alone towards the end. 

I will say that the art was pretty good, especially at the end, but overall the concept is empty and the movie never gives us a reason to worry about the fate of the characters--other than the fact that the music tells us too. I understand that The Evil Dead is supposed to be a cult classic and all, but I just didn't get any fulfillment out of it, nor a whole lot of laughs. And it leaves me asking the filmmakers why Ash doesn't get possessed along all with the others.

Twizard Rating: 48