Bruce Campbell vs. Army of Darkness (1993) Review

By Paco McCullough

[Note: This review discusses in some detail the cult classic Army of Darkness. If you haven't seen it, then quit reading this and go watch it.]

Bruce Campbell vs. Army of Darkness is something of a contradiction: a studio-released, creator-supported bootleg of the film Army of Darkness. Released by Anchor Bay, the dvd has commentary with star Bruce Campbell, writer Ted Raimi, and writer/director Sam Raimi. It appeals to diehard fans of the original film, as its main appeal is fifteen minutes of additional footage and the original ending. As the box itself says, "Here lies the closest thing to an 'official' director's cut of 'Army' that you'll ever find."

It is cool to see a lot of the additional footage. The classic windmill scene, where Ash (Bruce Campbell) fights off his tiny clones is given a couple minutes of welcome extra footage. There's an extended training sequence before the final battle, and the battle itself is extended. As a fan, the original ending is interesting to see, though I prefer the ending that Army of Darkness eventually chose instead.

Either due to technical issues with deleted scenes, or because Anchor Bay wanted this to feel like a real bootleg, there are some problems with the images shown onscreen. Much of the film is darker than it should be, making it more difficult to figure out what's going on. The special effects, even for things that were included finished in the theatrical cut that was released almost two decades ago, appear unfinished. While it didn't take away from the core of the film, it was distracting enough to be irritating.

Another problem is the inclusion of what I assume are all (or at least the majority) of the deleted scenes. While some are fun, others kill the pacing of scenes or extend jokes for longer than they should. While Bruce Campbell vs. Army of Darkness is a must see for any fanatical Army of Darkness fan, it's not going to replace your traditional copy of the film. Overall, I walked away from the experience rather disappointed.

3.5 out of 5 stars