Army of Darkness: The Medieval Dead *** (1992, Bruce Campbell, Embeth Davidtz, Marcus Gilbert) – Classic Movie Review 5031

Director Sam Raimi turns the third and final part of his The Evil Dead trilogy into a spoof sword and sorcery fantasy horror movie. Bruce Campbell returns as hero Ash, who is now accidentally transported back to medieval times, 1300 AD, in his car and with his chainsaw. He battles an army of the dead to retrieve the Necronomicon and return home. Raimi makes a bold attempt not to repeat himself by simply re-running The Evil Dead and Evil Dead II, and that is good and commendable.

As a fantasy horror comedy, trying to tread a fine line between the three elements, Army of Darkness maintains a spirited mood of being inconsequentially, throwaway funny. So unfortunately it has none of the darkness promised in the title, which is essential to the spirit of this video nasty series and horror genre.

However, instead it has got lots of good ideas though, especially Campbell’s Ash being attacked by evil miniatures of himself and the climactic attack by a skeleton army. But it proceeds in fits and starts, and there is no real dynamism or impetus. One good idea gets going, then it stops, and then another starts.

However, it is certainly busy and an eyeful. The movie looks good and expensive, with lots of big crowd scenes, excellent effects and sets, and exciting gadgets. And it is entirely entertaining in its jokey popcorn movie sort of way, with all the violence toned down in an unobjectionable Tom and Jerry knockabout style.

Also in the cast are Embeth Davidtz, Marcus Gilbert, Ian Abercrombie, Richard Grove, Michael Earl Reid, Theodore (Ted) Raimi (in four roles) and Bridget Fonda (whose role was cut down).

There are three versions: at 81 minutes, 96 minutes in the director’s cut and 88 minutes in the international cut.

Universal Studios refused to let Raimi call the film The Medieval Dead or Evil Dead 3: Army of Darkness, so it was just titled Army of Darkness. However, it was called Army of Darkness: The Medieval Dead for its UK release. Universal wanted a stand-alone film but ironically you can cut the three Evil Dead films together seamlessly.

It had a troubled history. The film set on on the shelf for a year awaiting the resolution of a dispute between Universal and Dino De Laurentiis over the rights to the Hannibal Lecter character from The Silence of the Lambs. Finally released, it was re-edited by Universal, who ordered up a new ending after the original one, where Ash’s attempts to return to his original time land him up in a post-apocalyptic England, was judged too depressing by test audiences. Campbell was displeased with both the delay and the re-edit.

It is advertised as ‘From the director of Darkman‘ (1990).

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 5031

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