Review of Army of Darkness (1992) by Andrew S — 21 Oct 2012

Army of Darkness is the final film in the original Evil Dead trilogy. The most mainstream of the films, Army of Darkness has one of the most recognizable posters (the second one posted) in pop culture that is always parodied. Even before I saw the film, I had seen the poster parodies and original poster. It's a classic. Hell, all of the Evil Dead films has awesome posters.

While this film basically cancels out the entire horror aspect for an action-comedy flick, it still manages to be awesome. As a stand-alone film, Army of Darkness is pretty damn good. As a finale to the Evil Dead trilogy? It has its moments, but generally destroys the continuity. Don't take this as a way of me saying I don't like the film, however. I just don't like it as a continuation of the first two films.

The film picks up where Evil Dead II ended, quickly recapping the events that transpired in the previous film. This is a good point to make, since this film would be the most popular of the series. It was able to achieve an estimated box office intake of $21,502,796 while being made for approx. $13,000,000. The most expensive film of the trilogy.

The homages to the first and second film are enjoyable for fans of the series. The story is silly, but hey, this is a continuation of a movie about a guy who fights zombies in a cabin with a chainsaw for an arm so...

The medieval setting is enjoyable, and I have nostalgic feelings of the first scene with Ash entering the pit with the Deadite. The movie is a bloody mess and is fun, but nothing too great when put in comparison with the first two films.

This was the first film I saw of the Evil Dead series and I was about...5 (?). So that'll show how different it was from the first two films. The mainstream-ness of the film also allowed me to see it at such a young age, since I'm pretty sure my parents still haven't seen the first two flicks. The comedic aspects really let people enjoy this more than the first two installments in the Evil Dead series.

For a stand-alone film, I really like Army of Darkness. If I had gone in knowing nothing of the first two (which I technically did as a kid), I would love this movie. The awkward jokes and gags are great, but watching it with a group of people who aren't fans of the series (i.e. my girlfriend and her parents) can be a little weird. The worst part is not being able to describe why I enjoy the films so much. I just do.

The main chick is annoying. This is technically the first chick I've outright disliked in the Evil Dead films. She's annoying and angsty, looks slightly like a man, and doesn't deserve to be a distressed damsel that Ash has to save. I digress.

The cheesiness makes this film. Evil Ash is so disgustingly awkward that I love it. The entire skeleton army is just awesome. The whole evil army looks great. The acting (when the girl is taken by the winged beast and Ash shouts "Damn youuuu!" for example) is top-notch. Oscars all around.

This is an extremely quotable movie. I've heard people talk about "their Boomstick" and not know a single thing other than this line about the film. "Gimme some sugar," "Hail to the king," and "Good? Bad? Doesn't matter, I'm the guy with gun," are all some of the most-quoted lines from this film. I was saying them off of the top of my head, though, so they may not be verbatim. Sue me.

I'll admit that this is a guilty pleasure of mine. The film isn't going to win awards and most people would probably dislike it, but I can't help but love it. Then again, I'm not afraid to say I love Army of Darkness so it's not a guilty pleasure. It's a pleasure straight out da closet, holmes. Maybe part of my love comes from seeing it as a kid. It reminds me of a mix between old-Tim Burton, Jim Henson, and a B-film. If Tim Burton directed a B-movie with Jim Henson doing the special effects, this would be it. I don't know why but I get some serious Labyrinth vibes from the film.

After watching all three movies three days in a row, it's funny seeing such an epic-ish adventure story acting as the finale to what started as a gory horror film in a cabin. Little to no elements are frightening in Army of Darkness, but the badassery of Ash in The Evil Dead II is included. The slight cheesiness is included, as well.

Overall, I'd say Army of Darkness gets a strong 8.5/10 for enjoyability from me. The film will appeal to the (m)asses more than the first two Evil Dead installments, which will hopefully lead to people seeing the first and second films and consequently building the fanbase up. Then again, it may turn away hopeful viewers due to the severe difference in tone between the films. Granted, the first two films are better, but Army of Darkness is a good jumping-off point for new fans.