ARMY OF DARKNESS
A film review by Thomas A. Miller
Copyright 1993 Thomas A. Miller
I don't usually do these, so I don't have a standard format or anything, but here are my thoughts on this film. You'll note that I don't have most of the actors' and actresses' names or anything like that...
ARMY OF DARKNESS is basically a sequel to EVIL DEAD and EVIL DEAD II: DEAD BY DAWN. Though I've only seen bits and pieces of those other two movies, I noted the similarities between them and this one. Directed by Sam Raimi (EVIL DEAD, EVIL DEAD II, DARKMAN), this movie details the adventures (and misadventures) of Ash (Bruce Campbell) after he gets thrown back into medieval times.
In a nutshell: It was hilarious. I haven't laughed so hard in a long, long time. As a combination horror/comedy, this film works very well. It's like a "Bill & Ted" or "Wayne's World" movie, with much more violence, and infinitely better special effects.
Plot nutshell: Ash tries to get back to his own time by finding the Necronomicon and saying three words of power. His inability to speak the words results in an army of undead being raised, and he must help the nearby people cope.
Effects: The walking skeletons were nicely done, as were the close- ups of the various dead people/monsters.
Pace: To me, this movie never slowed down, or had a dull moment.
Humor: Out of this world. If you see this with a loud audience, you'll miss some of the undeads' best lines (my audience shut up for the most part, especially when Ash was talking.) Also some of the things that happen to the undead (and to the living) are really funny, if you like this sort of movie.
Overall: I recommend it at full prices, and I'm not even a Raimi fan. I only went to see it because the previews looked good. It's perhaps even worth seeing twice.
Disclaimer: I don't do "real" reviews. If you found this one to be tolerable, thanks for bearing with me.
Thomas A. Miller Georgia Institute of Technology, Network Services thomas.miller@oit.gatech.edu
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