Evil Dead II Review
Written by: BlackTequilaKiss
To surpass the original is a milestone for an horror movie and this one does it with such grace that it stuns me. I loved this movie as much as the first, ok in truth, maybe not as much but still plenty compared to other predecessors to originals. This is one of a kind.
Doing a 7 minute recap of the first movie but in a unique way with different embodiment it then begins to get insanely off the charts when Ash (Bruce Campbell) is forced to do battle against the dark forces themselves before other strangers at the cabin. All stuck together they have to battle the flesh eating monsters before they themselves become one of the undead.
The first one was insane but gentle in certain moments this one is just borderline crazy! Gore is over the top, deaths are bloody mayhem and everything about this movie is just nuts. There is literally no let up. It grabs you by heart and drags you along for the ride.
I have to be fair and say I loved the cast in this movie. They are not your usual bunch of teenagers, they not only have some conscience about them but some intelligence too. Instead of taking everything at face value they actually questioned things, I admit running into the woods? Not so smart but still more credit given to them when compared to the teenagers seen in other horror movies.
The music is maybe not on par with the first. It could have achieved as much with a little less heightened scales and still maintained a great score but nevertheless for such a film still great and still capable of more emotion than some scores in the years to follow.
Camera angles in this are more fluid, in motion which is a nice stepping stone for the whole movie. Considering this has a slightly more polished feel than the first film it makes sense that the bumps and shakes are not so immense and smoothened down for a different movie with a different feel. It doesn’t detract but adds another element to Evil Dead II which stands in its own shadow.
Campbell is the Man! This whole movie is more or less centred around him. Fighting the demons, fighting possession, battling dark evils and he still does it fantastically. The hand scene with the chainsaw was both intense yet amusing. Even the cheesier aspects of the film he was able to keep a straight face and play a blinder of a roll. He is the King!
That said the other actors were brilliant in their prospective roles and played their characters fantastically especially when possessed. Over the top as the demons they played them the only way they could be played. Subtlety is something Evil Dead II could never in good conscious be, in your face is the perfect execution.
As usual the Gore is the main factor. The Evil Dead went to beyond the boundaries, pulled out the stops, well in that case Evil Dead II went beyond everything above that. So over the top it was at some points loud out loud and at other junctures quite ugly and disgusting everything you expect from this movie.
Bottom line is if you have seen this you all know what I am talking about. If not, then where have you been? Under a rock, lol just kidding! But really if you want a gross, laugh out loud, insanely off the chart movie then you need to watch this. After this, Hostel would seem like Kindergarten Cop.
This is just a fantastic follow up to an brilliant movie and needs to be seen by everyone. Just pure in your face, sheer enjoyment. Bliss! :)