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Picking up where it's prequel Evil Dead II: Dead by Dawn left off, we find that Ash has been transported to and taken prisoner in 13th Century Europe, where a war is raging between Lord Arthur and the Northlanders, led by Henry the Red (whom Arthur thinks Ash is in league with). Ash finds out firsthand, in Arthur's "Pit", that there is a far greater evil than war ravaging the land...DEADITES! After Ash proves his merit by surviving The Pit, Arthur's subjects give him the royal treatment. But his respite doesn't last for long, for he is informed by a Wiseman that the only way he can be returned to his own time, and the only way that the Deadites can be destroyed, is if he recites the words "Klaatu barada nikto" (true movie fans should know the origin of these words) and retrieves the Necronomicon from its pedestal, subsequently returning it to the Wiseman. But after finding it, he says the wrong words and inadvertently rouses the "Army of Darkness", which is led by his evil clone. Of course, Ash and Arthur, along with the help of Henry, must confront the onslaught of Evil Ash and his Army.
What makes this series so great is the fact that each one brings something different to the plate and smacks a home run every time at bat. The Evil Dead is the horror flick; Dead by Dawn is the acid trip (so to speak); and Army of Darkness is the comedy. Which may be the only foreseeable problem...
Before I started trying to find my movie...uh...what's that word? It's an "N" word...it's definitely an "N" word! Oh yeah! Before I started trying to find my movie niche on the net, I had no idea that there was any conflict of interest between comedy and horror. Boy, was I wrong. I've met some die-hard horror fans that would just as soon watch Steel Magnolias (God forbid) as they would Leprechaun in Da Hood or Jason X. If you are one of these fans, then stay away from Army. But I'm sure that the majority of fans will find no conflict, and can appreciate this movie for what it is: entertaining, funny, and a very compatible and appropriate sequel to ED and Dead by Dawn. Now, you still may be saying, "What is this supposed to mean to me?" Well, I'll break it down for you:
1. Will it make you laugh? If you have a pulse.
2. Will it scare you? If you're easily frightened.
3. Will you enjoy it? The answer is easy: see #1.
Is that simple enough for you? Good, now to continue...
The settings are fantastic. The designers did a good job in giving the overall setting the old English feel. They also did very well in devising the horror-elements of the setting--the windmill and graveyard both feel and look really creepy. But, how do our actors fare in these environments?
Well, hello Mr. Fancy-pants! The intrepid Mr. Campbell obviously outdid himself with this performance, because he hasn't been quite as good since. No matter if you see him in reruns of "Xena: Warrior Princess", "Jack of All-Trades", and "The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.", or in the recent films Serving Sara and Terminal Invasion (catch it on the Sci-Fi Channel), he will always be Ash, the smart-ass housewares department manager at S-Mart.
A groovy supporting cast also assists Campbell. Embeth Davidtz puts on quite a good performance in her role as Ash's apprehensive medieval lover Sheila. And when Ian Abercrombie (Wiseman), Marcus Gilbert (Arthur), and Richard Grove (Henry) are on-screen, they add a sort-of Shakespearean flare to the overall mood of the sequence in which they appear. Bridget Fonda even makes a very small yet very appealing appearance as Ash's former girlfriend Linda (You know, the one that's been possessed in, like, every ED movie).
There are 2 very acceptable yet very different versions of this film: the Theatrical Version and the Director's Cut. The question we have to ask ourselves is this: which one should be covered? Well, the restored scenes in the Director's Cut don't necessarily change the base story much, so this isn't a huge problem. BUT, they do use two very polar opposite endings, so I'll cover both.
The Director's ending is a very dark and apocalyptic view of Ash's return to the future, and is the ending that leaves the most room open for another sequel. The Theatrical ending is a much more uplifting portrayal of Ash's homecoming, and is a good capstone to the series. In all likelihood, the ending change was done because the common moviegoer doesn't like to see the good guy lose. But in the commentary on the Director's Cut DVD, Campbell and Raimi say that the Director's ending is the more appropriate one. So this denouement should, by all rights, be the accepted one. But this all leaves us with a few final questions: Will there be another sequel? Would audiences come get some? Or, furthermore, would another adventure featuring Ash and his trusty boomstick be any good? My answer is very simple: Good or bad, he's the guy with the gun.
All that's left to be said is: Bravo to Raimi, Campbell, and everyone else involved for gracing us with one of the greatest movie trilogies of all-time, and for capping it off with such a fantastic movie. Hail to the Kings, baby. |
