Evil Dead is an absolute blast!

Rating: 8/10 (11 April 2013)

I'm actually baffled to see that Evil Dead is sitting at a 7.4 on IMDb, not because I disagree, but because every review on this site is absolutely tearing the movie apart, and that's a shame. I may be the minority here, but I had a blast with the new Evil Dead. While it didn't blow me away like last year's Cabin in the Woods, it was a lot of fun, and that's more than I can say for most recent horror movies.
In all honesty, I don't know what kind of expectations had for this movie. If people were expecting groundbreaking levels of intelligence, they clearly were looking in the wrong place. A movie named "Evil Dead" isn't meant to make you think, it's meant to entertain you, and this new variation of the classic horror film definitely entertained me, albeit in a different way.
Evil Dead hasn't changed its plot much from the original. A group of teenagers go to a cabin, they open the infamous book, and all hell breaks loose. The story does have an interesting twist, where the now female protagonist (played wonderfully by Jane Levy), is a heroin addict sent to the cabin by her friends to help quit her addiction cold turkey. The new twist to the story isn't exactly necessary, but it helps add a deeper level of drama.
However, drama isn't what the movie is about. The movie has the same intentions as the original – to deliver plenty of gory scares. Evil Dead succeeds well in shocking the audience with its absolute brutality. As someone who rewatched the original specifically in preparation for this remake, I can confirm that the movie plays out largely in the same way as the original. It has sadistic scares left and right, combined with small doses of scattered black humor. Yes, I'm well aware that the movie isn't nearly as funny as the original, but that's not the movie's goals. This is an Evil Dead for a new generation, and it does a fine job fulfilling its goals.
One other thing to note is that Evil Dead is a technical triumph. Unknown to many, one fun fact about the movie is that it doesn't feature a lick of CGI. This movie is all clever filmmaking tricks. If you think back to the original Evil Dead and remember the god awful makeup and effects, you'll come to appreciate the masterful technical work of Fede Alvarez.
The movie is obviously not without its flaws. Besides Jane Levy's character (Mia), the rest of the cast is pretty bland and forgettable, and I'm not just talking about the performances, I'm talking about the actual characters. The characters aren't people you're going to be upset about if they die, which has become pretty standard for horror movies. The overabundance of forgettable characters in horror movies is precisely why this doesn't bother me as much as it does everyone else. Think back to the original Evil Dead – now think about the characters. Aside from Ash, who were you really attached to? Though it would be nice to have some characters with depth, I've come to expect it from these kinds of movies. The movie isn't about characters with layers upon layers of depth, it's about bloody fun.
The other flaw I'd like to point out isn't necessarily the movie's fault, and it does nothing to keep me from enjoying it. However, some people may have a problem with this. Evil Dead isn't anything new, so for those looking for something with the intelligence of say, Cabin in the Woods, I apologize. Then again, the movie IS a remake. If they twisted the plot too much, people would be even more enraged. The plot stays true to the original in more ways than I expected, but keep in mind that this isn't a movie that will revolutionize modern horror movies, though some positive aspects of this movie should be noted by aspiring filmmakers.
As far as horror movie remakes go, Evil Dead succeeds. I will agree with everyone, it's not as great as the original, but it's still a blast. With buckets of gore, impressive effects, and plenty of jabs at its big brother, Evil Dead succeeds. It's (clearly) not for everyone, but for those looking for an entertaining movie and nothing more (sorry, this isn't a psychological thriller), this should be a treat.