Reviews: ‘Evil Dead’ and ‘Jurassic Park 3D’
The following reviews originally ran on Starpulse.com in 2013.
Welcome back to Weekend Movie Preview. Things have been pretty busy for me over the last month or so, which is why you haven’t seen as many of my movie reviews coming out. However I’m trying to get back into the swing of things and hope to deliver you guys with more regular columns. I had such fun at the theater this week, I felt like I just needed to share my thoughts on the new Evil Dead and Jurassic Park 3D.
EVIL DEAD
Five twenty-something friends spend a weekend at a remote cabin, where they discover a Book of the Dead and accidentally summon demons residing in the nearby woods. Slowly, the evil starts to possess each of them until there’s only one left fighting for survival.
Director/Writer: Newcomer Fede Alvarez
Co-Writers: Diablo Cody (Juno, Young Adult) and Rodo Sayagues
Producers: Bruce Campbell, Sam Raimi, and Rob Tapert who created The Evil Dead
MY TAKE: As a big-time horror junkie, I consider Sam Raimi’s film The Evil Dead to be a sacred work. The 1981 flick is far from perfect, but its inventiveness was impressive despite its tight production budget. So when I learned that the picture was being redone, I was afraid that an unimaginative remake would tarnish the reputation of the series. Thankfully though, Fede Alvarez’s Evil Dead assuaged my fears and surpassed my expectations.
Alvarez’s film represents a rare instance where the remake actually improves upon the original, using advanced technology and a higher budget effectively to create a more gruesome horror movie. Alvarez’s version takes a refreshing approach to the premise as well, with new characters and a story which is delightfully less straightforward than it initially appears.
Additionally, fear and paranoia is greater in Alvarez’s Evil Dead as a result of the circumstances which bring these young people to the cabin. One of them is there to kick her drug addiction, so once she’s in withdrawal and crazy stuff starts happening, the others just think she’s hallucinating at first. When everyone finally realizes what’s going on, it’s fun for the audience to watch them flip their lids.
This “Evil Dead” is incredibly satisfying because it tickles you in all the places that the original does and even some it doesn’t. That’s because it’s able to take its nastiness to heights that Raimi’s version couldn’t reach due to budget and censorship. Those who know the series will understand what I mean when they see it. (Hint: trees are involved.)
The film doubles down on gore, delivering gallons of blood and plenty of disgusting scenes that will satiate horror fiends. Plus the evil creatures, the deaddites, are absolutely repulsive, doing and saying all kinds of horrifying, perverse things as they torture our protagonists. (Imagine: tongue + boxcutter.) I found myself wincing and squirming during the movie, which doesn’t happen often.
Perhaps the most impressive piece about this Evil Dead though, is that there’s very little CGI. Alvarez and his team still use almost entirely practical effects to achieve their thrills and chills, which worshippers of the original will really enjoy.
Fans of Raimi’s franchise: don’t bother searching for a new Ash/Bruce Campbell, because you won’t find him. You’ll discover subtle nods to Raimi’s Evil Dead, if you look closely enough however. Also, you’ll get to learn more from the movie’s famous maguffin, the Book of the Dead, something that should please you.
If there’s anything wrong with this movie, it’s that it lacks heart. The same passion that the original was made with just isn’t there. Also, the lead characters say and do stupid things and although we get to know them better than we’d expect in a horror film, none of them have particularly memorable personalities. Since the movie is straight horror without any camp, it takes itself a bit too seriously as well.
In a time of uninspired retreads and dulled-down PG-13 horror flicks, I’m glad that Alvarez’s Evil Dead turned out to be neither. I love that it wasn’t afraid to try something different or to test our stomachs in the process.
✭✭✭✭
JURASSIC PARK 3D
Millionaire John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) has used his vast fortune and the power of science to create an amusement park filled with live dinosaurs. To ease his investors’ concerns he invites a lawyer, a mathematician, two paleontologists, and his grandchildren for a preview tour. However the actions of a rogue employee and series of malfunctions turn a relaxing trip into a dangerous nightmare which threatens the park’s future as well as everyone’s survival.
Director: Steven Spielberg (Lincoln, War Horse)
Co-Writers: Michael Crichton (Twister, the novel Congo) and David Koepp (Premium Rush, Angels & Demons)
Based On: Michael Crichton’s novel by the same name
Notable Actors: Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Bob Peck, Martin Ferrero, Samuel L. Jackson, Wayne Knight
MY TAKE: I first saw Jurassic Park in the theater during its original run, when I was seven-years-old, and I loved every moment of it. Its fantastic story, fast pace, and superb special effects thrilled me and stimulated my young imagination. Although I’ve enjoyed the picture many times at home, nothing has quite made up for the pleasure of watching it in the theater. So when I heard the film was being re-released in 3D, I was ecstatic to re-experience this amazing spectacle once again on the big screen.
Because many of you have already seen Jurassic Park or are already familiar with its plot, I won’t go into a full review of it. I’m mostly going to comment on its 3D conversion since that’s new. In the opening of the movie, the 3D is startling and fresh, which makes the technology really noticeable there. It also creates a more tense, frightening first scene, especially as Bob Peck’s character Muldoon is shouting “Shoot her!” Past that point, your eyes settle in and you only pick out the 3D in random moments.
For the most part, the 3D doesn’t add very much to the mood of the film or the aesthetic. It’s incredibly mediocre, and in some moments, particularly during extreme close-ups, it’s just plain painful for your eyes. In the very same opening scene with Muldoon, there are some nauseating shots that are thankfully quick to pass. Another bad thing about the technology, is that it calls actor Wayne Knight’s weight into sharper relief. The poor guy looks massive in 3D.
The conversion isn’t all terrible though. During the part in the T-rex’s habitat, the beast pops right out of the screen as Jeff Goldblum waves a road flare at it. The snapping velociraptors in the visitor center also feel too close for comfort.
As a film Jurassic Park has aged remarkably well, especially its special effects. Its combination of CGI and animatronics is still believable. Its 90s clothes and technology look dated however. There is one other thing that hasn’t changed after all this time: Jeff Goldblum’s Ian Malcolm is equally obnoxious today as he was when this movie debuted in 1993. I’m glad I got to see this movie again in the theater, but I could have done without the 3D conversion.
I actually thought the tree attack scene was more disturbing in the original . This one was over before I realize it had started.
I admit if you came to see people getting stabbed, hacked, mutilated in the most disgusted way possible then you’ll get your money’s worth. I love scary movies, but this wasn’t frightening in the least. It’s gleefully gross and nothing more.
Thanks for reading Mark. “Gleefully gross” is a perfect way to describe it. In fact I’m jealous I didn’t think of that. I would agree that there aren’t a lot of actual scares, but if you love blood and guts you’ll get plenty of that with this film. It’s been a while since I’ve seen the first Evil Dead specifically, so I think a refresher may be in order to compare the tree attack scenes.