Evil Dead II - By far the best of the Evil Dead series

Rating: Null/10 (14 June 1999)

My guess on Evil Dead II is that Sam Raimi, once he had established his viability as a director/producer with commercial potential, went back and remade Evil Dead with a bigger budget and better actors. Bruce Campbell has almost 10 years more experience since the original Evil Dead and it shows, as he now gives a great performance as compared to his early semi-amateur performance in the original film.
The plot of this film is nearly identical to its prequel - but otherwise the film is better in every respect. Better acting, better special effects, better direction, scarier, and above all funnier. While Evil Dead I gives the impression of being funny because it is so badly done - in Evil Dead II the humor is quite obviously intentional, and makes fun not only of itself, but of the viewers, especially those who take it seriously. As with all of Raimi's later films (after Evil Dead) - this film is campy, yet aware of that fact; stupid (and I use this in the most positive sense of the word), yet smart enough to realize that it is stupid - and it uses that self-awareness to great effect.
In my opinion, what makes this movie great is that it is a by-the-books horror film that is aware of what it is, and uses that knowledge to make fun of itself in a way that is not obvious, and is actually quite subtle. Unlike Evil Dead I, which is obviously not meant to be funny; and Evil Dead III, which is obviously meant to be funny; this film walks the thin line in the between the two - funny if you take it to be funny, and a B-horror movie if you take it to be no more than that. That is the genius of Sam Raimi - unlike the 70's wave of directors (Scorsese, Altman, Kubrick, Penn, etc.), who made films with messages, Raimi makes films that can be interpreted differently by every viewer. I just wish he would leave the Producing behind and make some more movies, because no one else can make an over-the-top movie like he can. And Evil Dead II is the best example of his unique approach to film-making.