Good, but a major disappointment

Rating: 6/10 (30 July 2013)

When I heard they were remaking (or rebooting, which seems to be the term these days) Sam Raimi's The Evil Dead (1981) I first thought: why? Even with the approval of Raimi, producer Rob Tapert and actor Bruce Campbell why even bother? In my view, The Evil Dead is perfect and needs no modern update, even then, I would have thought the rabid fan base would be enough to scare someone off touching this. Well, it doesn't really matter what I think because here I am reviewing Evil Dead, directed by newcomer Fede Alvarez and boasting the very bold tagline "The most terrifying film you will ever experience."
Well, this is most definitely not the most terrifying film I have ever experienced. In fact, it is probably one of the most disappointing films I have ever experienced. Is it bad? No, not at all. Is it as good as it could have been? Definitely not.
It's a fairly fun ride for the most part, with a strong opening and plenty of neat gross-out gags (with minimal CGI, which is a big bonus). The actors are serviceable, as is the music and direction. But to me it feels lifeless, almost like it tries too hard to be gross and disturbing. The story also leaves a lot to be desired in some parts.
I will not break the plot down, it is basically the same as the original with minor changes I will not spoil here. My big issue is that no character is really likable or interesting. Now, the original didn't boast deep or complex characters, but they all seemed more human, more easy to relate to in some strange way. There is no hero like Ash which I found really strange, as that was a huge part of the original. There are also plot holes and contrivances which I can't go through otherwise I will spoil the movie, needless to say they are fairly obvious and disappointing.
As I mentioned previously, the acting is serviceable, Jane Levy is the stand out as Mia and Lou Taylor Pucci does a great job as the unlucky Eric. The other three are okay, but nothing to write home about. I think for a debut film Alvarez does a great job behind the camera, the direction feels assured, he definitely knows what he wants, which in this case is blood, lots of it. Once the carnage starts it doesn't let up, there are plenty of gags that the special effects team get to show off. No body part is safe, no sharp object unused. These scenes are nasty and in your face, with a darkly humorous edge to them. By the end of the movie they do feel a little forced, but overall the level of gore in the film is not disappointing and any hardcore horror film will appreciate what is on show here.
Overall the film is enjoyable and easy to watch. I can't say it was ever boring, and I am impressed that this is a debut feature film. For this reason I am giving it a more positive rating; however I think the excessive praise that Evil Dead is 'near perfect' and 'astonishing' is mostly hype. I enjoyed it enough to buy the Blu-Ray to add to Evil Dead trilogy Blu-Ray collection, it is something I can watch if I want some cheap thrills or to gross out a friend, but when compared to the original it just doesn't make the cut. Sam Raimi's film was scary, funny and insanely gory yet very simple. This tries too hard to be all of the above, and only just succeeds.
3/5