A profoundly disappointing "sequel" to one of my all time favourite horror movies.

Rating: Null/10 (12 June 2004)

'The Evil Dead' is one of my all time favourite horror movies. It's a classic example of what can be achieved on a very low budget if you have ideas and enthusiasm, and twenty years after it was released it holds up very well. The first movie was lot of fun without being deliberately FUNNY. Things aren't the same in 'Evil Dead 2', which is basically a remake trying to pass itself off as a sequel. The tone is very different this time around. The subtle black humour of the original has been replaced by blatant self-parody, and Three Stooges inspired slapstick. Many people absolutely love this approach and regard this as the best in the series. Well I'm sorry I'm not one of them. I think Bruce Campbell is cool too, but this movie is just an excuse for Ash to mug at the camera and throw out cheesy one liners. I wouldn't mind so much if the results were actually funny, but they're not, just silly. There's no suspense or unease in 'Evil Dead 2', something I really admired about the original, and to me, the supposedly more sophisticated special effects aren't half as effective. I don't hate this movie, I'm just profoundly disappointed by it. I can't see any reason to prolong this slamming. You either like this kind of splatter comedy or you don't. If you do it's probably essential viewing, but if you're like me and prefer horror more than comedy then you might be in for a tedious experience. My lack of enthusiasm for 'Evil Dead 2' doesn't spoil my enjoyment of 'The Evil Dead'. That movie is still a horror classic and I recommend it to everyone.