The Return Of Raimi

Rating: 8/10 (14 August 2009)

As a guy in his 30's, I grew up on the early work of Sam Raimi. After "Army Of Darkness" though, I noticed a change in his style and format. To be honest, I didn't care for any of the Spider Man films. I don't think they were terrible, just not as wonderful as the hype. Moreover, I don't think that they reflect the style of film that I came to know as Raimi's.
I opted out of seeing DMTH at first. I didn't think the trailer was all that interesting, and I figured I'd catch it on DVD down the line. At the suggestion of an old friend I went and saw it tonight, and was pleasantly surprised. More so than I expected to be. Although it is no "Evil Dead" film, the work embodies what I had come to define as Sam Raimi's style. With Spider Man and such, I felt like he played to his audience: kids. With DMTH, it becomes obvious that the guy felt like making a real horror film again.
I'll give him a pass on the CGI, as it is tastefully done compared to most these days. I'll also note that the acting was good, the flow of the film was good, and some the shots themselves are amazing. This film is by far the closest thing to Sam's older work that he has done since "Army", and should please his older fan-base. The kids today who aren't happy unless someone gets killed on screen every five minutes don't like this film, but those of us who are on the other end of that debate may just find a little slice of something worth a damn.