This high-octane semi-sequel to Sam Raimi's cult hit The Evil Dead has nearly eclipsed its predecessor's reputation thanks to an endless barrage of hyperkinetic camera acrobatics, rapid-fire editing and "splatstick" gore effects ... not to mention a truly goofy performance by Bruce Campbell. Nearly the entire storyline of the previous film has been re-shot and presented in a drastically condensed form within the first few minutes: rock-jawed but clueless "hero" Ash (Campbell) now visits the
mountain cabin only with girlfriend Linda (played here by Denise Bixler). Upon arrival at the cabin, Ash discovers the Sumerian Book of the Dead, the ritual dagger and a reel-to-reel tape containing the professor's translations of the book's hieroglyphics. The incantations summon an unseen, growling spirit from within the woods, which bursts into the cabin and takes possession of Linda's soul. Ash is forced to decapitate her with a shovel, after which he buries her in the forest. At first dawn, Ash tries to make his escape, but is promptly set upon by the spirits, given a solid thrashing and nearly possessed himself, saved only by the arrival of sunlight. Cut off from the outside world, Ash is forced to hole up in the cabin and wait for the next demonic onslaught -- which arrives sooner than expected, led by Linda's rotting corpse. After being bitten by Linda's chatty decapitated head, Ash's hand becomes independent of his body and begins pummeling him repeatedly. The story then jumps to a local airport, where the professor's daughter Annie (Sarah Berry) and her partner Ed Getley (Richard Domeier) have just arrived with the missing pages to the Necronomicon. They employ a cranky pair of local rednecks, Jake (Dan Hicks) and Bobbie Joe (Kassie Wesley), as guides to lead them through the dense woods to the cabin ... where, at that very moment, Ash is removing his belligerent hand with a chainsaw, creating yet another ambulatory foe. Driven to the brink of insanity, Ash fires blindly at a noise outside, unaware that the new arrivals are Annie and company. Bobbie Joe is injured by the gunshot, which incurs the wrath of Jake, who knocks Ash senseless and locks him in the fruit cellar. Believing her father was murdered by Ash, Annie plays the rest of the professor's recording to learn the truth, and discovers her possessed mother was buried in the same cellar -- and not exactly resting in peace. This touches off a string of unbelievably gruesome (and hysterically funny) events, including Henrietta's transformation into a stop-motion creature (reminiscent of a Ray Harryhausen creation), Ed's sudden metamorphosis into a toothy, levitating ghoul, and Ash's climactic confrontation with the forest demon itself. The obvious glee with which Raimi and company present this cavalcade of slime-drenched monstrosities and Three Stooges pratfalls makes it impossible to take seriously as a horror film, but Evil Dead 2 is nevertheless essential viewing among connoisseurs of truly demented cinema. The film's sardonic coda opened the way for a slightly less successful sequel, Army of Darkness. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi
Good acting would not have served the material well, since it would have diluted the comedy quotient and made the campy elements seem cheap and cheesy.
The pop-up humor and smirkiness suggest Raimi's aspiring to the fashionable company of the brothers Coen, though on the basis of this strained effort I'd say he's overshot the mark.
The acting is straight out of '50s B movies. The exposition is clumsy, the sound track corny, the denouement silly. Then again, who said bad taste was easy?
A masterpiece of B-movie horror-comedy mayhem fueled by Sam Raimi's fast-paced slapstick sensibilities and brought to life by Bruce Campbell's incredible performance.
This is literally one of those films that have to be seen to be believed -- it's outrageous, over-the-top, and beyond what you could possibly imagine, if you haven't already seen it.
The gaudily gory, virtuoso, hyper-kinetic horror sequel/remake uses every trick in the cinematic book, and confirms that Bruce Campbell and Raimi are gods.
Best slapstick seen in a horror flick. If Charlie Chaplin were alive today and into terror, he'd be directing this movie. Okay, maybe not -- but at least he wouldn't be dead.
A hilariously over-the-top film all the way through, concerning a couple who escape to the woods for the weekend only to encounter the wrath of the dead. Without a sense of humor, this film would be nothing more than a forgettable slasher flick with no reason to exist. However, thanks to Sam Raimi's self-aware meter
being on an all-time high, this film is ridiculously funny, badly acted on purpose, and definitely worth it if you love B-grade horror films. Bruce Campbell's hysterically bug-eyed performance is perfect for the film's direction, and the film's pace could not be better. I didn't love it as much as a lot of others do (it is a huge cult classic), but I still very much enjoyed it, despite the film's tendency to sometimes pat itself on the back for being so outlandish and ridiculous. Just as solid as the first 'Evil Dead', and definitely worth a view.
Remember the good old days of movie watching? Remember when you could go to your local video store and pick up a bunch of VHS tapes for about $5 and watch a bunch of stuff you hadn't ever seen before? Well that's what I used to do, and Evil Dead II was one of those rentals - forever changing my film appetite. It's one
of the most amazing horror comedies out there, and makes the original Evil Dead, the masterpiece that it is, look like a mild skirmish. You'll instaneously laugh and be scared all at once at with this goofy but brilliant horror film that continues to entertain generations of horror fans. Absolutely and positively one of the best horror films ever made.
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