Now Listen Up,You Primitive Screwheads...You Must Watch This Movie!!!

Rating: 10/10 (18 May 2006)

In the third installment of the Evil Dead Trilogy, our hero Ash is sent back in time to 1300 A.D. where he is enslaved and sent to the pit. After defeating the evil deadite that lingers in the depths of the pit, he is hailed as the chosen one. Ash, wants nothing to do with them and only wants to get back home, but the only way to do his is to retrieve the book of the dead. Unfortunately for Ash, he awakens the dead while taking the book, and now must battle the army of Darkness before he goes back to his own time.
Back in the year 1981, Sam Raimi and a group of friends created one of the most terrifying horror movies to date, The Evil Dead. Again in 1987 Raimi and Co. managed to create yet another genuine horror experience with Evil Dead II. Now with the third installment in this series, Raimi gives us a comedic cult classic film that will have you quoting every piece of dialogue in your every day life.
Army of Darkness is a perfect example of a cult classic. If you go walking down a street and ask if anyone has heard of it, they'll give you the crazy look. But search the net or go to any horror convention and you'll see that there are Evil Dead maniacs out there, and I am proud to say that I am one of them.
Most trilogies tend to suck by the third film, Blade trinity and revolutions to name a few, but here Darkness manages to make itself a stand alone film and a fine damn one at that. It still has it's nods to the original Evil Dead, but if you're looking for the ultimate horror experience, then this film is not for you. Instead Darkness is full of comedic dialogue and actions. Our hero ASH spits out classic one-liners that so many people try to copy today...I'm looking your way Duke Nukem.
Bruce Campbell is ASH. His character evolves throughout the trilogy and it's in this third installment that he is a badass. It's in this third installment that everyone remembers him from. It's in this third installment where he has the chainsaw, the boomstick, the one-liners, the sugar. Campbell will always be known for this one character. He's such a coward and yet we still feel the need to cheer him on. Campbell is the master of physical comedy and he uses it to his advantage here, fighting an army of mini ashs, splitting away from his evil self and getting his face sucked down an unknown demon hole from a book.
Speaking of which, that's what makes the film even more enjoyable. It's insane bizarre comedic tone. Whether you like slapstick comedy or have a dark funny bone, this film is delightful for all. I never thought I would laugh so much at someone pouring boiling hot water down their throat. Then to have the thing grow inside of you and try to detach itself from your body, only in a movie like this can you watch that and laugh with it. Granted, it would help if you've seen the first two films and in order as well. The opening does give you a recap of what's happened, but you feel more for the film and ASH if you've been through the horrors that he has.
Much like Peter Jackson got his start in the horror movie genre, so did Sam Raimi. You know, the guy that went on to direct such big hits as Spiderman and Spiderman 2. Army of Darkness has the little Sam Raimi touch with it. Once you see it you can tell that it's Raimi behind the lens. Raimi has his brothers scattered throughout the film, playing many different characters at that. As well as Three Stoogies get ups and the POV of certain objects, such as arrows being shot or forks being thrown.
The effects are great and still low key. You can tell which deadites are guys in suits and the black fabric behind the eyes of other skeletons, but that's what gives this film it's cheesy B movie goodness. Seeing ASH fight against all the evil mini ashs is a feat for the eyes as well, even if it does look so fake.
This is a great way to end the trilogy. I hope they do not make a fourth installment, as this is one of the greatest trilogies of all time, I'd even put it in the same sentence with Star Wars or Lord of the Rings, watch the Helm's Deep scene and tell me Jackson did not use army of Darkness as inspiration. I do not own all the DVD versions out there, which are a handful, but I do have the boomstick edition, so I'm able to enjoy the theatrical cut and the director's cut. Army of Darkness is a film that I can watch over and over and never get tired of, which is what a great fun movie should be.