Compent homage to a franchise.

Rating: 5/10 (14 October 2013)

"Evil Dead" comes across as more of a gruesome homage, alienating itself from fans looking for the franchise's trademark of unrelenting gore and tongue-in-cheek humor. The latter-day version of "Evil Dead," directed by Fede Alvarez, keeps the main focus on the gruesome element alone. Full of old-school effects, without any assistance from CGI, Alvarez's franchise entry has little to none of Raimi's humor, but certainly delivers on the carnage and bloodshed.
The heart of story remains intact: five college-age men and women head off to an isolated cabin in the woods. They are staging an intervention designed to get Mia (Jane Levy), who is no longer able to socially use heroin. Her four supporters are her estranged brother, David (Shiloh Fernandez), and his personality-devoid girlfriend, Natalie (Elizabeth Blackmore), registered nurse Olivia (Jessica Lucas), and Eric (Lou Taylor Pucci). In the cabin's dark, damp basement, they discover the Necronomicon, or better known as the book of the dead. Eric, in an act of overt horror movie stupidity, starts reading passages from the Necronomicon -- unknowingly unleashing the demons.
In his first feature film, Uruguayan director and co-scriptwriter Fede Alvarez demonstrates his wild imagination, and displays his talent for delivering the squirm- inducing images of body mutilations and other numerous atrocities. A nail gun, an electric carving knife, and a chainsaw all have their moment in the spotlight as weapons. What this new entry lacks entirely, which is so prevalent in the other movies in the franchise, is the tongue-in-cheek humor that accompanies the over-the-top gore and violence.
In the three decades since Raimi made "Evil Dead," many have copied, adapted, or borrowed from his low-budget playbook. It's extremely challenging to pull off something original, amusing, and truly horrifying all at once. That is exactly what made last year's "Cabin in the Woods" (2012) such a clever, entertaining watch, and a terrific addition to the genre. Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell, who directed and co- starred in the original horror classic, have production credits in this component, yet ultimately disappointing remake. Take away the name of "Evil Dead," and you're left with a movie that features your typical brainless characters who exist simply for elimination through horrific methods.