Pjtaylor-96-138044
More 'splatstick' than scary, the second instalment in the cult franchise cranks up the goofiness but wisely retains the horror resulting in an entertaining flick from start to finish. My only real hesitations with 'Evil Dead II (1987)' come thanks to the numerous continuity errors, which are especially noticeable when watching the flicks back-to-back, that make this more of a stand-alone than a sequel. Still, it's a really enjoyable picture and, while it isn't quite as good or scary as its predecessor despite numerous technical improvements, it retains the proper gore and occasional suspense required to make its silly humour work in its horrific context. 7/10
Andrew Miller
Now, I wasn't super-pumped about watching the first Evil Dead film, but it turned out to be pretty awesome thanks to it's atmosphere, Bruce Campbell, and it's usage of music, so by the time I watched Evil Dead 2, I was completely engrossed in this series and where it was going. As with the first film, Evil Dead II is a total blast from it's usage of comedy and scariness to Bruce Campbell and it's music.The movie kicks off with Ash Williams and his girlfriend, Linda going taking a trip to a supposedly vacant cabin in a forest. During their stay, Ash listens to a recording of the former resident, an archaeologist quoting segments from The Book of The Dead which awakens an malicious force that murders and then takes control of Linda who proceeds to attack Ash, compelling him to behead her and entomb her. Ash is then taken over by a demon, but when morning comes, the evil flees and Ash returns to normal and tries to leave but the only way out has been demolished. Meanwhile, the professor's daughter and her research colleague return with more pages from the book, only to discover that the bridge to the cabin is gone so they enroll the help of two locals who show them an alternative route, but once they arrive they find Ash battling the demons all while trying to keep his head straight, now the five of them must destroy the evil before it's too late.If The Evil Dead introduced us to the talents of Raimi and Campbell then this movie is the film that shows us the first one wasn't just some one-hit marvel and while the story of Evil Dead 2 is identical to the first one, the second one buries it's precursor in the dirt, it's better in every single area. As with the first movie, the low budget is clearly shown but it's the love of the craft from all the people that worked on this movie and who withstood unfavorable filming conditions and limited finances to give us something truly wonderful. Sam Raimi and the crew clearly had a objective to push the envelope of filmmaking as far as it would go without veering off a cliff; of course, the concept of people being trapped in a far-flung locale and being killed off one by one isn't that new of an idea given how the first Evil Dead movie invented it and has become a mainstay in horror films to this day, the way that it's filmed and written that makes this film such a classic.The violence of Evil Dead 2 is even more gruesome and bloody than it was in the first one with tons of be-headings, people getting stabbed with things, bodies being ripped in two, and lots of blood and goo everywhere and while it may seem incredibly disgusting, it's all done with a signature zany manner that makes all this gore a lot less winching and more hilarious like when a character is pulled into the cellar and a tsunami or blood comes pouring out.While the first one was more of a straight-on gore fest with some dark comedy thrown in, the sequel ups the ante when it comes to the humor like when Ash battles with his possessed hand which leads to something straight out of an episode of The Three Stooges with the hand repeatedly punching Ash, bashing plates on his head, and ending with Ash cuts his possessed hand off with a chainsaw making for one entertaining scene but the first half on the film then wraps up with one of the most hysterical moments I've ever seen on film in which parts of the inside of the cabin start to wiggle and clatter with evil vibes and in the space of a captivating minute, no more than 8 diverse laughing outbreaks, even Ash and the furniture, fill the place, this dreadfully tricky scene will certainly make the viewer feel a bit thrilled after it ends and even if the jokes scattered throughout the film fail to keep you howling with laughter rather than shrieking in horror, the movie's tiny budget will make sure that nothing will direct you to run out of the room screaming your head off.Having more money at their disposal, the visual effects look a lot better then the first one although by today's effects values, some people will find them laughably terrible, but in my honest opinion, the inventiveness that Sam and the crew put into the effects still looks wonderful today with a delightful mix of old-school make-up, masks, scary monsters, the usage of stop-motion, blue screen, and models which runs the complete range of practical effects needed to bring the world of the Evil Dead to life. The scene where Linda's headless corpse rises from her grave and then waltzes around is a perfect example of old stop-motion and while it does look a tad corny, it's still extremely creepy to watch, certainty better then the cheap CGI used in the Ring 2.When it comes to the actors in the movie, they all play their parts well but It's truly Bruce Campbell who makes the movie such a treat to watch. As with the first one, Bruce isn't playing the strong-armed hero or a super intelligent spy, but rather an normal guy who becomes a hardened bad-ass and goes into battle against the undead and yet completely steals the whole movie with spells of first-rate zaniness, insensitive weakness, over-the-top scene chewing, and irregular bravery, making him one of the coolest movie heroes ever to grace the big screen, the scenes of him battling the demons are pure cheese.Go see this movie at all costs, you will not regret it. It's gory, extremely quotable, and just down-right fun.
