Wickedly entertaining

Rating: 8/10 (12 October 2011)

"Evil Dead II" is a departure from the first, in that it's not a straight-up horror film. After a short (slightly altered) recap of the first movie, we find Ash (Bruce Campbell) still in the cabin, having survived until daylight, the last man standing. But the forces of evil still lurk in the woods, and the bridge is out, so Ash is stranded.
The tone is significantly lightened this time around, with much of the film spent on watching Ash get his ass kicked inside the cabin - whether it's getting beaten over the head with glass plates (by his own possessed hand) or being doused by a spray of blood from the walls. Just witnessing Campbell wage war with his own hand is worth the price of admission. There's so much Looney Tunes comedy and Three Stooges slapstick that you can't help but laugh at Ash's abuse (which seems to be the driving force behind the making of this film).
It's the prototype for the horror/comedy we see so much of today. Even so, "Evil Dead II" bristles with so much manic energy, you can't help but appreciate the humor and sentiment from the filmmakers. A supremely watchable film of the highest order.
8/10