Evil Dead Rise Gives Series Fans A Fresh Take And Plenty Of Gore

Usually when a film series is embarking on a fifth outing the challenges

of keeping things fresh and original yet being new and creative can be a

massive obstacle.

Horror series ranging  from “Halloween” to “Friday the 13th”, “SAW”, and

“A Nightmare on Elm Street” all faced issues with moving the series along

yet trying to stay true to the original film that inspired them and in

every case; failing to fully capture what made the original film a hit.

“Evil Dead Rise” is not only the latest entry into the series but a bold

take on the cinematic series as it abandons the remote cabin setting of

the first two films and the reboot in favor of an urban setting.

The film does open in a remote lakeside locale before jumping a day

earlier to California where estranged sisters Ellie (Alyssa Sutherland)

and Beth (Lilly Sullivan) reunite. Beth has been working as a guitar

technician and bristles that her sister refers to her as a groupie.

Ellie is raising three children after their father left and informs her

sister that the building they are living in is scheduled to be demolished

so they will have to move soon which is a shock to Beth as she has learned

that she is pregnant and is trying to figure out her life all the while

seeing what she thought would be a source of stability for her upended.

The arrival of an earthquake allows access to a hidden area in the parking

garage of their building and since the locale was a former bank; the kids

soon find a hidden book and records which the only son Danny (Morgan

Davies) hopes he can sell despite his sister Bridget (Gabrielle Echols)

admonishing him constantly to leave it alone and return it to where it was

found.

The book turns out to be a Necronomicon or “Book of the Dead” and as fans

of the series know; nothing good ever comes from one and thanks to playing

old records left by a Priest describing his thoughts on the book; a

summoning incantation is read and this causes Ellie to become possessed

and unleash grotesque carnage and terror on her family.

What follows is a gory and at times intense game of cat and mouse

punctuated by moments of levity as the demonic infestation knows no end.

The film has the over-the top- gore that is expected of the series and the

makeup and effects are very effective. Writer? Director Lee Cronin has done

a great job capturing the tone of the series while moving it forward as he

cleverly incorporates lines and nods to the series without making them

seem forced.

Some may find the excess of blood too much but the series has always been

known for taking things to the extreme as the blend of horror and comedic

parody is what made the original film such a success.

In the end “Evil Dead Rise” does enough to keep fans of the series happy

and hopefully, we will be seeing a new entry in the series in the future.

3.5 stars out of 5

If you are expecting an Evil Dead movie... well, I guess it depends on what generation you're from. If you are expecting Evil Dead, Evil Dead 2, Army of Darkness, the films of the unholy trilogy... you are going to be gravely disappointed. This isn't Sam Raimi's Evil Dead.

This is, well, this is the Conjuring just like almost every other Horror movie past 2014.

It doesn't really breathe "new life" into the franchise, instead it takes the Evil Dead and breathes the PG-13 Neo-Horror Movie breathe into a franchise that used to be a heck of a lot of campy immature fun.

Here you get the same as everything else.