Army of Darkness (1993)
Official Synopsis
Time-warped to 1300 A.D., department store clerk Ash Williams is captured by Lord Arthur’s knights. To return to the present, he must quest for the Necronomicon. However, he flubs the magical incantation, accidentally unleashing an unstoppable army of the dead and forcing him to lead a medieval battle against his own undead doppelgänger.
William’s Review
Army of Darkness has always been one of my favorite entries in the franchise, but rewatching it reminded me that it really isn’t a horror movie in the traditional sense. Instead, it’s a fantasy adventure with horror elements, and I mean that as the highest compliment. Sam Raimi takes everything that made Evil Dead II special – the slapstick comedy, Bruce Campbell’s charisma, and the outrageous practical effects – and drops them into a medieval adventure that somehow feels completely natural.
What struck me this time was how much the movie reminded me of Indiana Jones. Ash isn’t a perfect hero, but he’s a loveable one. He’s cocky, selfish, constantly making things worse for himself, yet somehow always finds a way to save the day. Bruce Campbell plays that combination of confidence and incompetence perfectly. By this point in the franchise, Ash has become a fully realized character, and nearly every line he delivers has become iconic for horror fans. “This is my boomstick,” “Hail to the King,” and “Give me some sugar, baby” aren’t just catchphrases they’re part of why Ash became one of horror’s most recognizable heroes.
The movie is also incredibly inventive visually. The Little Ashes sequence remains one of my favorite moments in the franchise because it perfectly captures Raimi’s love of physical comedy and practical filmmaking. It’s ridiculous, creative, and endlessly entertaining. The stop-motion skeleton army still has an undeniable charm that modern CGI would probably struggle to recreate. Even when the effects look dated, they add personality rather than distracting from the experience.
What impresses me most is how fearless Raimi was in letting the franchise evolve. Most horror sequels simply repeat the formula, but Army of Darkness completely changes genres while somehow still feeling like an Evil Dead movie. That’s a difficult balance to pull off, and I think it’s why the film has remained such a beloved cult classic.
This may not be the scariest movie in the series, but it’s easily one of the most entertaining. It’s endlessly quotable, incredibly creative, and one of those movies I can revisit almost anytime. For me, it’s an easy Buyer and one of Bruce Campbell’s defining performances.
What struck me this time was how much the movie reminded me of Indiana Jones. Ash isn’t a perfect hero, but he’s a loveable one. He’s cocky, selfish, constantly making things worse for himself, yet somehow always finds a way to save the day. Bruce Campbell plays that combination of confidence and incompetence perfectly. By this point in the franchise, Ash has become a fully realized character, and nearly every line he delivers has become iconic for horror fans. “This is my boomstick,” “Hail to the King,” and “Give me some sugar, baby” aren’t just catchphrases they’re part of why Ash became one of horror’s most recognizable heroes.
The movie is also incredibly inventive visually. The Little Ashes sequence remains one of my favorite moments in the franchise because it perfectly captures Raimi’s love of physical comedy and practical filmmaking. It’s ridiculous, creative, and endlessly entertaining. The stop-motion skeleton army still has an undeniable charm that modern CGI would probably struggle to recreate. Even when the effects look dated, they add personality rather than distracting from the experience.
What impresses me most is how fearless Raimi was in letting the franchise evolve. Most horror sequels simply repeat the formula, but Army of Darkness completely changes genres while somehow still feeling like an Evil Dead movie. That’s a difficult balance to pull off, and I think it’s why the film has remained such a beloved cult classic.
This may not be the scariest movie in the series, but it’s easily one of the most entertaining. It’s endlessly quotable, incredibly creative, and one of those movies I can revisit almost anytime. For me, it’s an easy Buyer and one of Bruce Campbell’s defining performances.
Amy’s Review
I cannot believe it took me this long to actually sit down and watch Army of Darkness. For years I thought it was basically a Monty Python movie because every time William tried to show it to me, I caught pieces of the medieval setting and immediately checked out. Since Monty Python has never really been my thing, I assumed this wouldn’t be either. I couldn’t have been more wrong, because this instantly became my favorite Evil Dead movie.
What surprised me most is that I stopped thinking of it as horror almost immediately. Instead, it felt like one of those fun adventure movies I grew up loving. Throughout the entire movie I kept thinking about The Goonies, Pirates of the Caribbean, and even Indiana Jones. It has that same sense of adventure where the goal isn’t to scare you every minute, it’s to make you smile, laugh, and have a great time while still throwing monsters, skeletons, and supernatural chaos at you.
Bruce Campbell absolutely carries this movie. I already understood why horror fans loved Ash after Evil Dead II, but this is where I completely fell in love with the character. He’s funny, charming, confident, and constantly delivering one-liners that somehow never get old. Watching him bounce between action hero, comedian, and reluctant savior made me wonder why Hollywood didn’t cast him in more leading roles. He had everything you could want from a movie star in the ’90s.
Hands down my favorite scene was easily the “Little Ashes”. They were adorable, hilarious, and somehow still creepy at the same time. Every time one of them showed up I found myself smiling because they were so creative. Even the skeleton army, which obviously looks dated today, has a handmade charm that made the final battle even more enjoyable.
I genuinely didn’t want this movie to end. By the time the credits rolled, I wished this version of Ash had continued for several more adventures because I would have happily watched every one of them. It’s funny, imaginative, endlessly entertaining, and easily earns a Buyer from me. It wasn’t just my favorite Evil Dead movie it became one of my favorite adventure movies, period.
What surprised me most is that I stopped thinking of it as horror almost immediately. Instead, it felt like one of those fun adventure movies I grew up loving. Throughout the entire movie I kept thinking about The Goonies, Pirates of the Caribbean, and even Indiana Jones. It has that same sense of adventure where the goal isn’t to scare you every minute, it’s to make you smile, laugh, and have a great time while still throwing monsters, skeletons, and supernatural chaos at you.
Bruce Campbell absolutely carries this movie. I already understood why horror fans loved Ash after Evil Dead II, but this is where I completely fell in love with the character. He’s funny, charming, confident, and constantly delivering one-liners that somehow never get old. Watching him bounce between action hero, comedian, and reluctant savior made me wonder why Hollywood didn’t cast him in more leading roles. He had everything you could want from a movie star in the ’90s.
Hands down my favorite scene was easily the “Little Ashes”. They were adorable, hilarious, and somehow still creepy at the same time. Every time one of them showed up I found myself smiling because they were so creative. Even the skeleton army, which obviously looks dated today, has a handmade charm that made the final battle even more enjoyable.
I genuinely didn’t want this movie to end. By the time the credits rolled, I wished this version of Ash had continued for several more adventures because I would have happily watched every one of them. It’s funny, imaginative, endlessly entertaining, and easily earns a Buyer from me. It wasn’t just my favorite Evil Dead movie it became one of my favorite adventure movies, period.