Good? Yes. Epic? No.

Rating: 7/10 (21 July 2009)

A bank employee is forced to make a tough decision -- denying an old woman an extension on her home loan. While this may have helped her career, it jeopardized her life. The old woman, a gypsy, puts a horrible curse on the woman, where an evil spirit (a lamia) will drag her soul to hell in four days.
Many of us were waiting for Sam Raimi's return to horror (aside from his production work for Ghost House), and here it is. For me, personally, it was an experience that was both welcoming and disheartening. any of Raimi's old tricks are back, but some of his new tricks are present too, much to my chagrin.
A good friend informed me that the first fifteen minutes of the film are "epic", a word that is not to be used lightly. In this, I strongly disagree. While some of the later scenes were very intense and quite fun (the parking lot scene, for example), the first fifteen minutes were largely a waste of film. The introduction with the Mexican family serves only a minimal plot purpose, and we are treated to a bit too much bank employee exposition.
What are the old tricks and new tricks I refer to? Let me lay it out for you. The old tricks include: the return of the Delta 88, some great camera shots (again in the parking lot scene), a demonic dance, a possessed goat, and a very subtle cameo by Ted Raimi that you'll miss if you don't recognize Ted's voice. Sadly, Bruce Campbell was not available for the film to make a cameo. The new tricks? Computer generated animation. I have expressed my disapproval of CG in countless reviews, but it's even more sad from Raimi, who is known for his camera techniques and stop-motion work. Sure, this isn't low budget, but animated fire doesn't scare me.
Overall, while I didn't find the film to be groundbreaking, it is well worth a view. Raimi includes plenty of his splatter effects (blood, drool, and other bodily fluids) and generally gives us a good ghost story, particularly for working in the PG-13 framework (which is a mistake). The end is also satisfying. Compare this to Stuart Gordon's "Stuck" and it seems that Raimi has the more lasting impact on horror.
As of this writing, the film is in the cheap seats, so by the time you read this, it will likely be out on video. Be sure to rent this. The film likely didn't make as much in theaters as expected, especially with the overbearing media campaign (which was enough to turn me -- a Raimi fan -- off). Let's help them recoup their losses on the video sales. No doubt the special features will make this well worth it.