Cast: Bruce Campbell, Embeth Davidtz, Marcus Gilbert
Director: Sam Raimi
Country: USA
Genre: Comedy | Fantasy | Horror
Editor’s Notes: The following review is part of our coverage for the 3rd Annual ThatJaime Horrorfest put on by Next Projection’s own Jaime Burchardt, which runs from October 1st to October 31st. For more information this online horror film series visit thatjaime.com/horrorfest and follow ThatJaime Horrorfest on Twitter at @ThatJaimeHF.
The third and (so far) final installment of Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead series, Army of Darkness (or as it is called in the onscreen title, Bruce Campbell vs. Army of Darkness), abandons the horror elements of the first two films and goes more for broad comedy with some grotesque elements to it. Some jokes work, others don’t, but the whole thing is a lot of fun to watch.
…Army of Darkness abandons the horror elements of the first two films and goes more for broad comedy with some grotesque elements to it.
The story has Ash (Bruce Campbell) transported to the year 1300 by a spell in the Necromicon that was incanted at the end of Evil Dead II: Dead by Dawn (1987) to send the evil spirit out of our dimension. Fortunately for Ash, he still has his chainsaw (attached to his arm to serve for a hand after he had to cut his own off because it had been infected with the evil spirit) and his sawed off shotgun (with a seemingly limitless supply of shells) to protect him.
The local Wiseman (Ian Abercrombie) thinks Ash is the prophesized one sent to fight the evil that has plagued their land. After a bit of a misunderstanding, he assumes that role, if only to get the Necromicon and return to his own time.
From there, the story doesn’t much matter. What follows is some really clever sight combined with some really well put together special effects using matte paintings, composite shots and stop motion animation.
One extremely successful scene, both technically and comically, is the scene in the windmill where Ash has to fight small mirror images of himself. Some gags are cartoonish, but it all works in concert with the trick photography utilized to have mini Ashes running around tormenting the larger Ash until he is forced to swallow one, creating a second full sized Evil Ash who becomes the main antagonist and the leader of the Army of the Dead.
Speaking of the Army of the Dead, they were a very inspired bit of technical wizardry. Partly made up of people in suits, puppets and Ray Harryhousen-inspired stop-motion animation the army was terrifying and hilarious at the same time. The stop-motion skeletons are seamlessly integrated into the live action, and you have to look hard to see the puppets from the animated skeletons. They work in the context of the film, something that films like Jason and the Argonauts (1963) and Clash of the Titans (1981) could only dream of.
Army of Darkness was actually the first of the Evil Dead films I saw and in a lot of ways it’s my favorite. It’s certainly not the best film of the trilogy, that title belongs to The Evil Dead (1981), but it is the most fun and without a doubt the goofiest. It also functions, like the other two, as a standalone film. It’s interesting to watch all three of them together, because Evil Dead II: Dead by Dawn is basically a remake/reimagining of The Evil Dead, with Army of Darkness being the only real sequel.
To put it simply, don’t try to think too much about Army of Darkness. Not much of it will make a great deal of sense, but that’s okay. The manic energy of Raimi and Campbell more than make up for any inconsistencies in the plot or and gags that don’t work.
There is an interesting theory as to why Evil Dead II isn’t a continuation of the original story but a reworking. At the end of the theatrical version of Army of Darkness (the film is 21 years old, so I don’t feel bad about discussing the ending), Ash is recounting his tale to his fellow S-Mart employees. The theory is that Evil Dead is what really happened, while Evil Dead II is Ash’s version of it, which makes sense because Ash is more heroic in part II. This doesn’t work with the original ending of Army of Darkness though. In the extended “director’s cut” of the film, Ash takes the potion that allows him to sleep for 100 years per drop but he takes one too many drops and wakes up in a post-Apocalyptic world where he is apparently the only surviving human.
One problem with that. Ash was in the year 1300 when he took the potion. He was advised that he needed to take 6 drops to take him back to his time, and he accidentally takes 7. Now, I’m no math whiz, but if he only takes 6 drops, he would wake in 1900, 87 years before he left. Seven drops would take him to the year 2000, 13 years after he left. Maybe this was Raimi’s commentary on what the immediate future held, but I don’t think so. I think it’s just a gag that doesn’t hold up if you think about it for a second.
To put it simply, don’t try to think too much about Army of Darkness. Not much of it will make a great deal of sense, but that’s okay. The manic energy of Raimi and Campbell more than make up for any inconsistencies in the plot or and gags that don’t work.
When it comes down to it, Army of Darkness ends up being a great technical achievement for Raimi, but a structurally and narratively unsound one. Raimi shows what he can do in a more open landscape than a cabin in the woods, and directorially he really shines. The persistent evil camera is in full force and his use of extreme close-up gives us the feeling that we’re still cooped up in that little cabin waiting for evil to strike.
Campbell really shines here too. He’s good in the first two, but here he gets to show off his comic chops much more. He also displays a great amount of range, taking Ash from cowardly to brave to braggart to insecure, sometimes within the same scene. Campbell is not often given the credit he deserves for being a very talented actor and that is unfortunate. Here he gives us so much, but most people only remember the chainsaw mounted to his hand and his “mighty boom stick”.
Army of Darkness ultimately proves to be an incredibly entertaining film, and that is really what is important. It’s not a great film, but it’s fun. However, if you’re looking for something like the first two, something that will scare the pants off you, this is not the film you are looking for. If you are looking to have a good time with a goofy action/comedy/horror-ish film, then you are in the right place. And remember: Klaatu Barada Nikto!
[notification type=”star”]79/100 ~ GOOD. Army of Darkness ultimately proves to be an incredibly entertaining film, and that is really what is important. It’s not a great film, but it’s fun. [/notification]
