SuperReviews: Drag Me to Hell

DRAG ME TO HELL is a 2009 horror film directed by Sam Raimi and starring Alison Lohman and Justin Long. The plot concerns loan officer Christine Brown refusing to extend a loan for an old gypsy woman. The gypsy woman then places a curse on Christine that, after three days of demonic torment, she will be dragged to the depths of hell to burn for all eternity.
Now, let me start by saying that DRAG ME TO HELL feels very much like EVIL DEAD IV. It has a great atmosphere, some very creepy scenes, and great gags. There is even a point where a character references the EVIL DEAD cabin. He suggests that they take a vacation to his parents' cabin that is deep in the forest. This, of course, is a direct referance to the cabin used in THE EVIL DEAD and EVIL DEAD II. In a way, you could consider this film a part of the EVIL DEAD franchise. It could be an Easter egg that ties DRAG ME TO HELL into the trilogy, or it could be something that Sam Raimi just threw in there. But, what really matters is, is the film good? Well, yeah. It's pretty good!

PLOT: This film has a very original and interesting plot. A while back, I wrote an article titled HORROR MOVIE REMAKES: THE EPIDEMIC. In the article, I talked about how I think that Hollywood has less and less original ideas and is remaking more and more films, especially in the horror genre. DRAG ME TO HELL is one of the few recent horror movies that I think is original and actually delivers some decent scares. Also, I don't usually like PG-13 horror films because they are usually badly edited to show nothing scary so they can have a PG-13 rating because they know they won't make any money, and they'll make even less if kids can't see it. But there are exceptions to every rule. And DRAG ME TO HELL is definitaley an exception!
ACTING: Like the EVIL DEAD franchise, every actor in this film delivers. But, unlike that trilogy, there is nobody who stands out. Everybody is at the same level, while in the EVIL DEAD trilogy, Bruce Campbell stands out in every one.
SPECIAL EFFECTS/CGI: This is where the film suffers a lot. There are some good practical effects, but in every important scene, (especially the ending) they just go to these really fake looking CGI effects. It really takes the viewer out of the film when an intense scene suddenly has some CGI demon that looks like he is out of a Looney Tunes cartoon jumping out at the audience. At least in the EVIL DEAD trilogy you could appreciate the fantastic stop-motion sequences that actually fit within the context of the film.
ATMOSHPHERE/SCARES: There are some pretty intense scenes in this film, but, as I said before, they are usually spoiled by some very fake looking CGI. Some great buildup, hindered by something that could have easily been fixed: bad CGI.

So all in all, a decent, original horror film with some great buildup that is hindered by fake looking CGI and nobody that stands out. It's a fun flick, and I would give it:

6/10 or, 3 stars, or in real world terms; if you see it at Wal-Mart or Walgreens for like 5 or 10 bucks, pick it up, but if you can't find it for cheap, just rent it. You'll watch it, and have a great time, but once it's done, you probably won't have any desire to see it again.

What did you think of DRAG ME TO HELL? Do you consider it a part of the EVIL DEAD franchise? Leave a comment below, and let me know!

COMING SOON: I may write a few articles on the EVIL DEAD franchise, about how DRAG ME TO HELL could be a part of it, and also where the series should go from here. I may also begin reviewing the PARANORMAL ACTIVITY films.