Re-Animator (1985) Review

Let's make it really short. You like Evil Dead 2? You're a fan of practical effects? You think Braindead is one of the funniest movies ever made? Congratulations, chances are you're already familiar with Re-Animator, but if you're not then hear me out.

Re-Animator is based on a story by H.P. Lovecraft, another more or less famous author I still haven't read. It's about a neon green serum that brings the dead back to life, as simple as that. The inventor of said serum is Herbert West, played with an overdose of creepiness by Jeffrey Combs. Using the serum has the side effect that these walking corpses turn overly violent, cue some gory but amazing practical effects. That's all the setup you need to know and there's really not much point in talking much more about the story.

If I had to judge the film on its basis as a "standard" film I'd have to say that Re-Animator has some pacing issues and a pretty bland hero character played by Bruce Abbott. But it easily makes up for these shortcomings with the presence of Jeffrey Combs who might just be one of the best mad scientists I have ever seen on screen. Sure he features all the standards of the genre (especially the God complex as Re-Animator is supposed to be a parody of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein). But on top of that he is also massively arrogant, oblivious to all the other character's feelings and overall just a blast to watch. Every time he is onscreen the movie gets a massive boost.

The other great thing that makes Re-Animator stand out are the effects. The climax of the film is just one great icky and fun showdown of splatter and madhouse insanity. In a time when every other scene is filled with CGI, it is so refreshing to see something practical like here. I can't really explain what it is but knowing that what we see actually took physical craft and not just mouse clicks to make gives the viewer so much more pleasure. And boy, will you be satisfied with the Re-Animator. I guess the mid-80s to early 90s were simply a great time for practical gore effects like that. If you haven't done so go see John Carpenter's The Thing, Peter Jackson's Braindead, Sam Raimi's Evil Dead 2 for further proof. Or you can just watch Re-Animator, it's considered a genre classic for a good reason.