Evil Dead 2 DVD > Reviews > The perfect modulation of Horror and Comedy.

Author's product rating:   

Did you enjoy it?	Loved it
Story	Good
Characters / Performances	Good
Special Effects	Good
How does it compare to similar films?	Outstanding

Advantages:	Improves on the original is nearly everyway .  Bruce Campbell is the man !  .  A trumendous blend of genres .
Disadvantages:	Your mother might not like it .  .  .

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

For all the critical plaudits and cult status THE EVIL DEAD gained after it's release way back in 1981 it was certainly not a movie for everyone (your mom for example). So the movie wasn't exactly a blockbuster and Sam Raimi was still stuck making low budget flicks. So when the studio decided to give him the modest sum of 3 million dollars to make EVIL DEAD 2 he chose to make it less gory and more humorous. An idea that worked surprisingly well, not only did it take in twice it's budget but was also better than the original in almost every respect..

Because of the changes in tone, similar setting, and Bruce Campbell's character's complete lack of memory that driving to a cabin that is in the middle of nowhere for a quiet weekend is never a good thing, it is common misconception that EVIL DEAD 2 is a remake of THE EVIL DEAD. The truth is that this is indeed a sequel but because Raimi couldn't get the right's to show a re-cap of the first film he shot a simplified 5 minute version of the whole of the first movie and stuck it at the front of this one. Instead of Ash (Campbell) and his 3 friend's, it's just him and his girlfriend Laura who show up at the start of the film. Laura is possessed and attacks Ash, he chops off her head, buries her and is then chased and hit by an evil force, it's this point where part one ends and two begins.

You can probably tell from my description of the first few scene's that EVIL DEAD 2 moves at an amazing pace, in fact that's probably an understatement. Yet again brimming with invention and nifty camera moves while at literally every moment throwing pure brilliance in your face, people use the words "roller coaster" all too often when describing films but EVIL DEAD 2 is the real deal. As well as technical improvements on every level, the action and comedy are where it shines the most. Chainsaw and shotgun action has never been and never will be as cool as in this film. Be it Ash wrestling with his headless girlfriend, hunting his demonically possessed severed hand down or being attacked by an horrific looking giant tree while sucked into a swirling time vortex, if anything, there are just too many dazzling set pieces here, it's impossible to remember them all. Not only is each one as visually exciting as the last, they are all funny too. This is in large thanks to both the directors darkly comic imagination (The eye ball in the mouth gag is classic) and the star's performance….

It really wasn't until this second EVIL DEAD film that Bruce Campbell showed us what he could do. While you could just write it off as ridiculously over the top, in my opinion his performance as Ash is such an Exultation of b movie acting that it is impossible to not adore, Whipping twice the amount of ass here that he did in the previous film and looking twice as cool doing it while delivering some of the most undeniably corny yet completely fitting one liners ever. His schizophrenic double act between the buffoon who is scared out of his wits and being bombastically heroic is done so well, it's why he's so loved by fans. The rest of the cast, although better than what we had to put up with in the first movie don't really deliver anything half as enjoyable as Campbell, but then seeing as he spends half the film on his own and the other half taking centre stage, it doesn't really matter.

Not only the best of the EVIL DEAD trilogy, but the best film of it's type full stop and not just a great horror comedy, but one that is stunning when compared to any movie. EVIL DEAD 2 works so well because it is a perfect modulation of genre types and will probably never be bettered in its field.