Army of Darkness

Picking up directly where Evil Dead II left off, Army of Darkness follows Ash (Bruce Campbell), now stranded in the 14th century, as he reluctantly agrees to help defend a castle from a literal battalion of the dead. The movie, which continues the series’ tradition of tweaking its immediate predecessor’s conclusion, opens with a terrifically entertaining stretch detailing Ash’s fish-out-of-water exploits in medieval times, with the character’s sarcastic, sardonic observations on his surroundings lending the early part of the proceedings a hilarious and thoroughly compelling vibe. Campbell’s tremendously appealing turn as the now-iconic central character is instrumental in confirming the movie’s early success, while director Sam Raimi’s typically flamboyant visuals, coupled with an emphasis on cheesy yet compelling special effects, perpetuate Army of Darkness‘ distinctly watchable atmosphere. It’s clear, though, that the decision to gear the film towards a younger audience is, to put it mildly, somewhat jarring, as scripters Ivan and Sam Raimi lean heavily on broad instances of Three Stooges-like physical comedy and old-school adventure shenanigans (ie the buckets of blood that defined the first two movies are completely absent here). The climactic battle between the living and the dead that closes the picture is well done yet disappointingly lacking in thrills, and it is, ultimately, fairly clear that Army of Darkness remains pitched at a level of pleasant mediocrity throughout its brief running time.

**1/2 out of ****