RATING: 
By Shawn McKenna
Date Reviewed: 1/07/2000
"Alright, you primitive screwheads, listen up: THIS... is my BOOM STICK!."-- Ash in Army of Darkness
When it comes to cheesy cult cinema starring Bruce Campbell, I am a fan. Bruce has a certain panache that other actors do not have. I do not think that he would be accepted as a mainstream hero, however go into any comic book shop and ask them who there favorite cult actor is and chances are that a good percentage will say Bruce Campbell. He possesses ineffable characteristics that attract a fervent following. His characters have minimal differences like any of Clint Eastwood's western portrayals. They are always cocky, austere, and always ready for the one-liner quips. His portrayal of Ash in the Evil Dead series is no exception.
Army of Darkness is the third film in the Evil Dead series. It is more silly, less gory, and more irreverent than Evil Dead II. Unfortunately, like most 'cult' films it was a disappointment at the box office and there will be no fourth film (as of yet). Army of Darkness takes place after Ash defeated the phantasm in Evil Dead II and then was sucked into a vortex that sent him into the medieval past. A slight discrepancy between II and III is that in II he shot a flying 'deadite' creature and was revered at the ending in two, but in three, he begins in chains as a prisoner.
He escapes his fetters with the help of his "boomstick" and is sent on a quest to find the Necronomicon -- the book of the dead. This will help him get back to the future as well as rid the land of the evil curse. However, he has to say the right words before picking the book up. Otherwise, he will unleash the "Army of Darkness." Can Ash do this without screwing up?
Raimi, who also directed Evil Dead I and II, has an eye for allusion. There are more Three Stooges references in this film then a Mel Gibson flick. He also alludes to Taxi Driver and Rambo. There is even an issue of Fangoria in Ash's trunk. Raimi's schlock sense of humor is a bizarre mix of slapstick and horror. One of the funniest scenes is when an army of mini Ashs confronts Ash and one of them jumps in the mouth of Ash and in order to kill it Ash swallows boiling water. It then mutates Ash into two separate Ashs -- on evil and one good. The banter between the two provides some ecstatically funny scenes.
Army of Darkness has the best use of skeletons since Jason and the Argonauts. They are an integral part of the latter half of the movie. Of course, I liked most of this movie. Sure there are plot problems and logical mistakes, but I enjoyed this film because of its originality and Campbell's character. One of the reasons this film has a cult following is because there are not many films similar to Army of Darkness. However, this film has not been accepted by the mainstream, it is embraced by a select fanatic few.
Alternate Ending:
I am going to be vague describing my feelings on the ending. I do not want to spoil it for anyone who has not seen the movie. I have not seen the new DVD version that has many extra scenes. I am referring to the special edition Army of Darkness that has the alternate ending after the credits.
Supposedly, the alternate ending was the original ending. While I enjoyed watching it, I felt the theatrical ending was stronger. While the alternate ending had a twist that was akin to its predecessor, it reminded me too much of the ending for Planet of the Apes. The theatrical ending was more aesthetically pleasing to me. I felt it was more true to the movie. It also left an opening for a sequel.
ARMY OF DARKNESS (1993)
| CAST |
| Ash Williams: | Bruce Campbell |
| Sheila: | Embeth Davidtz |
| Arthur: | Marcus Gilbert |
| Wiseman Joe: | Ian Abercrombie |
| Duke Henry: | Richard Grove |
| CREDITS |
| Director: | Sam Raimi |
| Written by: | Sam Raimi and Ivan Raimi |
| STATS |
| Running Time: | 81m. |
| Rated: | R |
| Genre: | Horror/Comedy/Fantasy |
| Country: | USA |
Other Critics:
| Roger Ebert |  |
| Leonard Maltin | |