“Ash vs Evil Dead” premiered Saturday Oct. 31 on Starz.
The show is about Ash, portrayed by Bruce Campbell (“The Escort”), reprising his character from the original “Evil Dead” franchise. He discovers that after 30 years of living with evil in his life it begins to come back to haunt him and it becomes his job to fight it off.
Campbell is perfect. His comedic style and timing are a perfect fit for the comedy horror the show brings to the forefront. He is the person who tries to be perfect, yet audiences get to watch struggle and fail in the best way. However, he also possesses that action star quality that makes him the hero people want to see rise to the challenge.
Another incredible aspect of the show is the directing in the first episode. The episode was directed by Sami Raimi, the creator of the original series. The series has a clear voice that Raimi easily displays to the audience. He makes incredible choices in scenes. One scene in particular that stands out in the episode is with Jill Marie Jones (“Sleepy Hollow”) and her ex-partner.
The scene is lit with nothing more than a spinning flash light and viewers get to watch as the partner turns from a weeping slob to a possessed demon bent on ending Jones’ life.
One thing the show could improve on are the effects. Yes, it is a comedy horror show, but the fake blood and the prosthetics of the possessed are not the issue. Those are brilliant staples of Raimi’s and should not be judged or altered. Things like the doll that attacked Ash in the store appear to be the final project from someone’s intro to design class. With a network like Starz backing up the incredible Raimi, one would think they’d put a little in the budget for some decent special effects.
Another thing the show can work on is Ray Santiago’s (“In Time”) character, Pablo. In the first episode he was nothing more than the typical “this is your destiny” type of character who spends his time trying to convince Ash that he is capable of destroying the evil that has begun plaguing their town. As the show proceeds, hopefully we can see the character stand up and do more for himself and less from the shadows of the protagonist.
The rest of the cast comes off strong. Alongside Jones, Lucy Lawless (“Salem”) is another character that is in the background of the episode, yet still manages to grab the viewer’s attention and peak their interest.
“Ash vs. Evil Dead” had a hilarious and powerful opening episode. One can only expect great things to come as the series continues. So grab a nice book, strap on your chain- saw arm and get ready for next week’s episode.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
