Poor remake that misses the point

Rating: 5/10 (6 November 2015)

Version I saw: UK bluray release
Actors: 5/10
Plot/script: 5/10
Photography/visual style: 6/10
Music/score: 6/10
Overall: 5/10
Unknown director. First-time writer. Unknown cast. These statements describe both 2013's 'Evil Dead' and its predecessor, the 1981 original. However, while Sam Raimi's 'The Evil Dead' bucked the trend, the new version very much shows evidence of the inexperience of those making it.
Some elements are done well, to be fair. The mobile hand-held camera work turns a budget limitation into an advantage, and the use of Raimi's patent "camera on a stick" technique is a fitting tribute, if a little over-abundant. Overall, it looks more slick and professional than the original, albeit with a budget over 30 times bigger (not accounting for inflation).
The screenplay leaves a lot to be desired, though. The characters are monumentally idiotic, undermining any sympathy I might have had for their plight. The theme connecting narcotics to demonic activity, while functional enough as a plot point, is woefully undercooked as a metaphor.
Finally, there is not a shred of humour throughout. While the presence of humour in the original is disputed (I never found it very funny), the series is now best known for its blend of horror and comedy. At the end of the closing credits, we see Bruce Campbell as Ash, the main character in the original, but this only reminded me of what I had enjoyed back then, and not found here.
Alvarez appears not to realize what made the original great, but thinks he does, and set about making a tribute to that. The success of the new 'Ash Vs Evil Dead' TV series shows how wrong he was.