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'Army of Darkness' Review

4 Stars-1993

By Brandon WettigPublished 5 years ago 3 min read
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This is the ultimate definition of a "Cult Classic" or a B-Movie. A film made with an extremely low budget of 11 million dollars and is beloved by the "Dungeons and Dragons" type of nerds and video gamers everywhere. And I don't say this as a bad thing. Although you won't find me at any "dungeons and dragons" meetups, I am totally on this movie's bandwagon.

With a premise as ridiculous as a grocery store worker getting sent back in time to the 1300's with a chainsaw attached to his arm and a shotgun to fight skeleton warriors, it can go one of two ways. One, the director thinks he is making the next grand marvel of cinema and takes it way too seriously, or two, know how crazy this plot is and have fun with it. Thankfully, this movie is a ton of fun.

A big reason for that is Bruce Campbell, who was made for a movie like this. He perfectly portrays the snarky, one-liner spewing grocery store worker that has suddenly been transported back to the Middle Ages. Plus, he looks like an action star.

What makes this film unique is that the effects used are ones that would have normally been used in the 1950's and 60's like stop-motion animation, lots of crazy makeup, and acting in front of a giant projection screen. This film came out the same year as Jurassic Park, so the visual effects standards of the time could have created a giant skeleton army and middle battles, but seeing effects like this still being used is extremely fun to watch. Like I said before, this film is a cult classic, meaning that it is really only beloved by a certain group of people. Any "Best Movies of All Time" list will probably not have Army of Darkness on it and most "film experts" will dismiss this film as being simply crap for nerds. But it's good crap for nerds. Sometimes you need to go into a movie and know that the plot and effects are going to be totally silly and ridiculous, then proceed to laugh your face off and have a wonderful time. That's what I get with this movie every single time I watch it.

If you have an interest in dungeons and dragons, magic sorcery or even played Runescape growing up, this film is a blast. This is the kind of movie you and all your nerd friends, (again, I say that with a positive connotation) watch in your basement after playing a long game of RISK or Magic the Gathering. Much like how Rocky Horror Picture Show is made for the same chauvinistic musical theatre people Moulin Rouge! was made for, Army of Darkness speaks to a certain audience. So, if you think that a tongue-and-cheek wacky adventure through medieval times with a chainsaw and shotgun-wielding grocery store clerk is worth your time, then I believe that you will have a smile on your face when this film is over.

Again, I can't stress this enough. This film has cheesy effects, corny dialogue, wacky action, a very thin plotline with tons of strange imagery that, although I have never done it myself, I would only imagine would be like going down an acid trip in the woods. Sometimes people who even like movies like Lord of the Rings or any other Midevil type films cannot deal with the amount of cheese you get with a movie like this. So just be fully aware of that before jumping in. You aren't getting a masterpiece, however, you are getting a whirlwind of fun!

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