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Starring: Bruce Campbell, Embeth Davidtz, Marcus Gilbert
Director: Sam Raimi
Running Time: 81 mins
Army Of Darkness is an American film and the third in the Evil Dead franchise. After being taken back in time, Ash finds himself in the 13th century, and the only way to get back to the present is to complete a daring quest to retrieve the mystical Necronomicon book without awaking the army of the dead.
Now worlds away from the dark world of the original Evil Dead, Army Of Darkness is a fantastically funny action-comedy-horror-fantasy, with director Sam Raimi stepping up the ante with jokes, and lead actor Bruce Campbell going all out in one of the most physically manic comic performances of all time.
Following on from the bizarre Evil Dead II, a comic parody of The Evil Dead which came before it, Army Of Darkness continues in deliriously crazed fashion as we see Ash transported back into the 13th century.
More than just a generic medieval comedy adventure, however, Army Of Darkness is filled to the brim with mad, genre-breaking humour and action that delivers some of the biggest laughs of this most bizarre of film franchises. It’s not quite on the laugh-a-minute level of the likes of Airplane!, but you certainly won’t be bored at any moment here.
Featuring even better – and often even more gruesome – special effects than the past two films, Army Of Darkness is a really entertaining action movie, with a fun central quest story and fast-paced battle sequences throughout.
Admittedly, much of the action and fantasy lore gets distracted by comedic set pieces where Bruce Campbell is fighting his own Lilliputian clones, or even a double that grows out of his shoulder, but it’s all part of the manic fun that this film delivers in bucketloads.
Complete with a smattering of memorable, kick-ass quips and heaps more slapstick, there really isn’t ever a dull moment here, making Army Of Darkness an immensely funny rollercoaster from start to finish. So, that’s why I’m giving it a 7.5 overall.
