[6]

The third Evil Dead film gets a bigger budget and a more traditional plot, but the polish and structure don’t compensate for low-budget invention and madcap inspiration. Bruce Campbell is prime here, delivering a smattering of memorable lines and a few good scenes of physical comedy as a department store employee whisked back in time to 1300 AD where he must battle an army of the dead and find the dreaded Necronomicon to return home. Fans of Ray Harryhausen’s pioneering special effects will appreciate the army of stop-motion animated skeletal warriors, even though the sequence wears out its welcome. Overall, Army of Darkness tries too hard, and is almost an entirely different and less satisfying kind of movie than the previous two Evil Dead flicks. With Embeth Davidtz (Schindler’s List) and Bridget Fonda. Directed by Sam Raimi.