Unimpressive.

Rating: 4/10 (19 October 2002)

Through the tell-tale fake sets, the cheesy acting, the excessive growling of "Bad Ash", I was not laughing. I was yawning, shifting in my chair, and trying to keep from falling asleep.
Definite spoilers. It's time to break it down.
"Army of Darkness" is, I suppose, the third in a series of equally crummy movies. I have not seen the first two, so I am unable to comment on them. However, the beginning of "Army of Darkness" gives us a glimpse of the end of the second one, and I could tell it was just as awful.
"Army of Darkness" is unsuitable for those who enjoy well thought-out movies. It cannot decide whether it is Action/Adventure, Horror, or Comedy, and this constant struggle for a genre is anything but satisfying. Some of the one-liners were funny, yes, but everything else was just really lame.
At first I liked the movie. It reminded me of a really cool PC game known as "Serious Sam". However, "Army of Darkness" strayed too far past the action/adventure boundaries and went right into Transylvania. I was shocked at the sudden change. First Ash, our rough and tough macho hero who cannot be stopped, was in a medieval castle, then suddenly in a twisted world of scarred trees, plastic boulders, and an unbelievable graveyard. "Unbelievable" meaning I can't believe that they actually thought people would accept it.
There is a scene involving a windmill that is just outright stupid. Small spawns inexplicably emerge from Ash and cause many troubles for our hero. This scene goes on and on, almost endlessly. Another scene involves Ash attempting to escape from skeletal hands that appear from the ground, and for at least a minute or so we watch as he lies flat on the ground and tangles with these hands. Scenes like these, in which an event deters from the story way too much, occur often. I was very annoyed.
And let's not get started on those "Deadites". I say that if you don't have the power or technology to do it, you shouldn't even try. These things are AWFUL. Gave me a headache just watching them try to walk.
Then there's the actual filming. Some parts got so blurry that I was tempted to either fast forward or just hit "Stop".
The character development is weak, the plot is sub-standard (how many times have we seen undead creatures attack a castle?), the villains are superimposed on a crummy blue screen, and every single set seems as though it was made to look phony.
The hero, Ash, is not so bad. He provides a little comic relief (too much in some areas) and enough sarcasm and toughness that helps the movie to its feet.
But the rest of the movie drags it back under. It's a flop. I should probably go into how awful the music sounded, but then I'd end up writing a ten page essay on how screechy music destroys any decent score. Reminds me of "The Shining"...
All in all, don't watch this movie. It's a shame. The first twenty minutes or so are interesting and fun, but the rest will just give you a headache. And then the end...