By Price Zimmer | Arts & Entertainment Editor

While some may have trepidation with the absence of Bruce Campbell in a remake of “Evil Dead”, the latest version of the horror classic is a solid reimaging that is better than expected.

For the uninitiated, “The Evil Dead” is a horror film series created by Sam Raimi, who returns as a producer in this movie, which is centered on a group of young friends who discover a demon book and summon, well, demons. It also features the iconic Ash Williams played by Bruce Campbell, as well as creating some of the funniest one-liners to ever grace a horror franchise.

This is not to say that “Evil Dead” is a great or even original film, unlike it’s source material, however this may prove to be a selling point: the film uses very little CGI and focuses on physical set pieces to added heightened involvement for the audience.

It should be duly noted that “Evil Dead” is a violent, gory and bloody rampage that is not for the faint-of-heart. Horror fans should enjoy a return to the roots of the genre; this is a very traditionalist gore flick, something that has simply not be made-and made well-in recent movies.

Another attribute “Evil Dead” has going for it is that even though it is a remake of a horror classic, this is not a lazy, derivative effort. It has been made by people who care deeply for the genre and their passion is demonstrated for the gorgeously brutal sets and props-this is a visual treat, if the audience can stomach the film.

Director/writer Fede Alvarez does an admirable job in his debut to bring “The Evil Dead” franchise up-to-date, he even gives a plausible reason as to why the doomed quintet do not flee from the cabin when the real horror starts. Alvarez does well, although there are more than a few hiccups along the way.

There is a ton to like about this movie, however, this does not excuse some obvious flaws that really temper the quality aspects of the film. One of the most egregious is the clear lack of humor and wit that made the original trilogy classic. This makes the film a very run-of-the-mill horror romp and a far less engaging movie.

As mentioned, the lack of Bruce Campbell as Ash Williams from the original movie makes engaging and sympathizing with the new characters much harder. His charisma is missed, except in one especially “groovy” cameo.

The acting from the rest of the actors is nothing to write home about. Jane Levy as the main character, Mia, is better than the rest, which is not saying much with the heavy layer of horror movie corn the other actors use, perhaps this is even a by-product of the script.

Again, die-hard and casual horror fans will find enough to scream and joy to, but this a horror film that is not meant for the weak-willed. While it touches on some basic aspects of horror film that the genre has gotten away from, the clear weakest entry in a classic franchise is pretty pedestrian overall. A “C”.