Army of Darkness
Universal Pictures | Release Date: February 19, 1993 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
59
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 32 Critic Reviews
Positive:
15
Mixed:
13
Negative:
4
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
50
The New York TimesJanet Maslin
Taken on its own terms, "Army of Darkness" displays some ambition and wit, though not nearly enough to lend it broad appeal. Read full review
40
Austin ChronicleMarc Savlov
A poor man's "Excalibur," but the fact of the matter is that the film displays far too little of the incisor-sharp wit and out-of-control mayhem readily available in the other two films. It just doesn't work. Read full review
50
TV Guide MagazineMichael Gingold
Raimi is a master at pacing this kind of material, however, and never allows it to become redundant. Read full review
60
VarietyStaff (Not Credited)
Blending almost nonstop violence with humorous parody, Sam Raimi's latest excursion into horror-kitsch seems more like an irreverent "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court." Read full review
60
Chicago ReaderJonathan Rosenbaum
Enjoyably campy hokum. Read full review
58
Entertainment WeeklyOwen Gleiberman
By the time Army of Darkness turns into a retread of "Jason and the Argonauts," featuring an army of fighting skeletons, the film has fallen into a ditch between parody and spectacle. Read full review
50
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
Fans of ultraviolent sword-and-sorcery nonsense will have a good time; others will head for the exit. [19 Feb 1993, Arts, p.10]
50
San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalle
Army of Darkness has good moments and shows traces of wit right up to the end, though these moments wind up coming fewer and farther between. [19 Feb 1993, Daily Datebook, p.D1]
50
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
The movie isn't as funny or entertaining as "Evil Dead II," however, maybe because the comic approach seems recycled. Read full review
60
EmpireChris Hewitt
As a film in its own right, this quirky Ray Harryhausen tribute (a skeleton army!) rocks. As an Evil Dead film, though, it’s ultimately not funny, scary or gory enough. Read full review
40
The New YorkerMichael Sragow
Even diehard fans may long for something to hold the tacky flourishes together—a plot, or maybe even a guide that's more lucid than the Necronomicon. Read full review
40
BBCNick Hilditch
Nonsense is no bad thing, but here it's poorly executed and from Raimi we've come to expect something better. Read full review
58
Tampa Bay TimesHal Lipper
Surprisingly, though, Army of Darkness is slowest during its extended special effects sequences and best when human low-lifes are groveling in the squalor of the 13th century. [19 Feb 1993, p.8]
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