Love the first two but don't like this

Rating: 5/10 (3 October 2009)

This is a review of the 96 min. directors cut. Basically this is "Evil Dead 3". It picks up right were "Evil Dead 2" left off with Ash (Bruce Campbell) back in medieval times. He wants to get back to present day (1992) but has to get a book that holds the incantation and battle the evil dead.
Unlike the first time this is R rated--the first 2 were unrated but would have gotten an NC-17 easily. Also unlike the first two the accent here is on humor not horror and the gore is significantly toned down. Also the plot in this one is all over the place. It's fairly simple but Ash is constantly insulting everyone and telling bad jokes. Also it comes to a dead halt sometimes to indulge in some VERY violent (and unfunny) slapstick. The sequence in the windmill and when Ash first encounters the skeletons seem to come from a Three Stooges short! I hate the Three Stooges and I don't think I have to sit through TWO of their routines while watching a horror movie! On the plus side director Raimi had a LOT of money for this one and the special effects are dazzling. The stop-motion skeletons were just a joy to watch. Also Campbell's WAY over the top acting helps the story speed through its dull spots and Embeth Davidtz is very attractive and convincing as the love interest. Also the studio cut has a silly ending (with Bridget Fonda) but the directors cut has a more serious (and better) ending. This one just left me cold while I loved the first two so I can only give it a 5. The slapstick humor and stupid comedic lines were totally out of place in an Evil Dead film.