Written by Markus Robinson, Edited by Nicole I. Ashland
Markus Rating: 2 out of 5 Stars
Rated R for strong bloody violence and gore, some sexual content and language
Now playing at Century 20 Oakridge Mall in San Jose, California:
This is essentially the 1981 original with most of the fun elements pumped out of it. OK, so to be fair “Evil Dead” is definitely more of a reboot than a remake. Other than the name, director Fede Alvarez and co-writer Diablo Cody have tweaked “The Evil Dead” story just enough (while keeping its original cabin in the woods mold) that this “Evil Dead” should be considered a standalone piece from the Sam Raimi series. That said, with a plotline consisting of five friends spending the night together in a cabin in the woods and reading from a Book of the Dead until they are one by one possessed by demons, leaving only one left to fight for survival, it is hard not compare it to the original. It is just such a shame that the original is so much better than this unimpressive attempt at horror. In short, the Alvarez/Cody “changes” I alluded to above, only work to overexpose a perfectly simplistic storyline, making the movie seem longer than need be and also nearly destroying the campy nature of what made the original “The Evil Dead” such a success.
That is not to say that the second half of the film doesn’t contain parts which some would consider “fun”. There are a few well directed creepy visuals and the grotesque makeup here is simply superb (the best part of the movie). Furthermore, and quite shockingly, this reboot is not just another mindless big budget torture-porn gorefest, like 2003’s “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”…well, let me reword that. In the spirit of “The Evil Dead” franchise, which is essentially predicated on violence and campy gore, this reboot isn’t as maliciously gory as advertised, but still earns its R rating.
That said, almost all campy moments in the second half are clearly examples of too little too late, as nothing remotely funny (or interesting) happens until almost an hour in. There are also some nice callbacks to the original, including the infamous POV shots where the camera barrels through the woods, chasing after a screaming woman. But in the same breath I should make mention that the tree rape scene from the original is totally ruined here. I know what you’re saying. How does someone screw up a tree raping scene?! And yet…
Critics of this critique may say that I went into this film with many biases, being that I am such a fan of the original. But to those I would say: I strongly believe that even the people who enjoyed “Evil Dead” (for what it is) or God forbid, haven’t seen the original, will still surely forget about it by the time the next Paranormal Activity comes out. In fact, if not for a rather suspenseful final 10 minutes, which may be the bloodiest in recent years, this movie would have been completely forgettable.
Side Note: The trailers are more memorable than anything in this film. Oh, and by the way, you know the part in the trailer when the “possessed girl” utters the infamous line “we’re going to get you, not another peep, time to go to sleep”? Yeah, that’s not in this film.
The Acting: I won’t mention anything about the acting, only because the acting in a movie like this isn’t important AT ALL!
Final Thought: Even though “Evil Dead” does spark from time to time, it can’t seem to ignite or let alone sustain any sort of suspenseful, campy or terrifying atmosphere. From its far too serious for its own good tone, to an exposition that is way too drawn out (especially for fans of the original) to its failed attempts to go the “Drag Me to Hell” (make situations and visuals so over-the-top that they are intentionally humorous) route, as a whole, this film should be considered a watchable disappointment. I will go so far as to say that “Evil Dead” was so shrug inducing that it is no wonder why Sam Raimi gave it his seal of approval, as he must have seen this reboot as no threat to overshadow his original classic.
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