Ash Vs. Evil Dead

Ash vs Evil Dead succeeds by merrily and seemingly effortlessly making a mess of things. The biggest budget consideration might be the cleanup bills. But the mayhem is never cringe-worthy and the heroics can be a riot... You’re gonna have a blast.

This campfire story may not be getting any smarter, but it should get even better.

It moves quickly, has good scares and big laughs, and the moment when Ash shifts from clown to killer is every bit the big hero moment you would want after all this time.

When the stump of Ash’s right arm connects once more with his famous chain saw, you know it’s time to party, and pretty soon everything in the show looks like an explosion at the Ragu spaghetti-sauce factory. It is indeed the happiest of Halloweens.

Knowledge of the past movies is unnecessary to follow Ash vs. Evil Dead, but an appreciation for scenery chewing and sometimes cheesy special effects will come in handy.

Thanks to the presence of star Bruce Campbell, original Evil Dead director Sam Raimi and master producer of enjoyable junk Robert Tapert, Ash Vs. Evil Dead is a blood-squirting, wisecracking success as a half-hour TV series.

Amid the current glut of serious horror series (some of them, like “The Strain” and “The Returned,” quite good), the Ash vs. Evil Dead pilot stands out for its intelligent esprit.... A second episode, neither written nor directed by Mr. Raimi, is more conventional in its humor and pacing. But the performers are still appealing, and the self-referential jokes mostly land.

Little quibbles aside, the show remains a pretty marvellous accomplishment. It at once echoes the visceral “splatstick” mania of Raimi’s films while hitting a funky-fresh, self-referential note all its own.

Loyal members of the "Evil Dead" cult won't be disappointed by "Ash vs Evil Dead," which kicks off with a romper stomper of an episode.

Raimi shows he hasn’t lost his horror chops in directing the first episode, particularly with a spinning flashlight tension-builder. And the bloody roots of “Evil Dead” are fully honored as well.

Ten minutes into Ash vs. Evil Dead it's clear that the show is pulling none of the maximum blood-and-scare punches of the movies, and their humor is thankfully intact.

What's ultimately so refreshing and thrilling about Ash vs. Evil Dead, whose premiere episode is helmed by Raimi, is how charmingly and giddily scrappy it feels, in both narrative and aesthetic, and the zooming, seemingly effortless pace at which Raimi keeps the bloody, widespread mayhem going.

The series takes its horror seriously. There are genuine jolts, along with lots of intense, turbocharged action sequences, and fountains of blood that give the story visceral oomph. The faint of heart may want to sit this one out. On the other hand, there's also enough comedic energy to keep things from feeling excruciatingly brutal.

The gore and the laughs begin almost at once as the series begins and never let up.

Overall, bringing Ash into the modern world is a mixed bag.... [But] When the Deep Purple kicks in on the soundtrack, Ash locks in his chainsaw hand, and the blood hoses are turned on, Ash Vs. Evil Dead is everything fans hoped it would be.

This is full-throttle, blood-soaked television, and even when it's not hitting every mark, it's still a great time.

If you know what you're getting into, it's ghastly comfort food, reassuring in its way.

Campbell certainly has the wit and charisma to make Ash a welcome weekly TV presence, but without Raimi, he might have to carry the show on his own. For now, at least, he seems to be up to the task.

All in all, after two episodes, I hope it becomes more of its own thing instead of reminding me of things I liked in the past, but I’m willing to take the journey to see if it gets there.

With our hero having already sacrificed a hand to the cause, nobody should be surprised if the series version doesn’t possess long legs. But as a short-term lark, it’s goofy, doesn’t take itself too seriously, and certainly feels well-calibrated to a very particular appetite that’s uniquely suited to pay cable. From that perspective, the show does justice to its campy, low-budget roots.

You might cringe if you weren't so busy laughing. [26 Oct - 8 Nov 2015, p.15]

The struggle with Ash vs Evil Dead is reconciling the giddy, maniacal pleasure that Raimi brings to the pilot with the by-the-numbers disappointment that the second episode delivers and knowing that that is more likely to be the series going forward.

Hardcore Evil Dead fans may find Starz's TV series disappointing. The series betrays the film's DYI legacy by using a great deal of digital animation for the fight scenes and gore. And as the CGI effects aren't particularly sophisticated, they give the action sequences a cheesy feel. Given the half-hour format, there is little space to develop the secondary characters.