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No Stupid Sidekick for Ash

Written by Lex Walker

Friday, 15 August 2008

Screw Justin Long and Shia LaBeouf. Save for Shorty, the Die Hard and Indiana Jones franchises were sidekick free - and they were awesome for it. In fact - Shorty was only present during The Temple of Doom, which I think we'd all agree was the suckiest of the Indy J. trilogy.

“When he’s ready, I’m ready,” star Bruce Campbell told MTV News in an interview.

After talks with Sam Raimi and in light of all the geriatric heroes taking to the silver screen for a fourth installment, Bruce Campbell agrees that the time is right for another Evil Dead flick.

We couldn't agree more.

The best part? No LaBeouf or Long sidekicks ruining it all.

"About those two movies though while we’re talking about them – you know those annoying characters played by Shia LaBeouf and Justin Long? The young sidekick character? Yeah, not so much gonna happen in “Evil Dead,” says Campbell.

“I think the audience would be insulted if you did, because then you feel this obvious pressure to appeal,” he said. “The beauty of the ‘Evil Dead’ movies is that you’re only appealing to one demographic and that’s people who like horror movies. And you just have to please them. You don’t have to appeal to the studio. You’re already pleasing them by giving them part 4.”

Why didn't Lucas and Spielberg figure this out? I mean hell, it's not like Lucas hasn't had dreadful success with sidekick characters. Jar Jar Binks. Shorty.

Damn you Chewbacca, R2-D2 and C-3PO - you make Lucas think he knows what he's doing with sidekicks!

As much as this series deserves a sequel, the fact that Bruce Campbell and Sam Raimi acknowledge the 16 year gap (Army of Darkness came out in 1992) gives me troubled thoughts. Let's hope they don't follow Die Hard and Indy down that dark road into reboot hell.

August 15, 2008, Saul Berenbaum said:

You mean Army of Darkness came out in 1992.

If Evil Dead IV comes out in the next 5 years I will be very, very happy, and very, very aghast.

Votes: +0

August 17, 2008, _JC_GUEST_NAME said:

I don't see how the sidekicks ruined the movie. My first Die Hard was 4 and I loved it. I can't speak for Indiana Jones since I haven't seen any of them, and the only Bruce Campbell I've seen was Army of Darkness and there were plenty of stupid characters in that, and they weren't even sidekicks. It's not like Justin Long and Shia LaBeouf are bad actors or anything.

Votes: +0

August 17, 2008, Lex Walker said:

Part of me, a rather large part, wants to dismiss every opinion you could ever offer on this subject for never having seen any of the Indy's or the original Die Hard trilogy prior to the 4th.

But with that said, I realize -- neigh, I goddamn hope -- you're only 13 or something in that range. Then, and only then, could I possibly forgive you.

Here's what I'll say. Go watch the original trilogy (watch the first one twice, it's just that beautiful - truly the standard bar that all pure Action films should strive for) and THEN watch the fourth one right after. The closest Die Hard ever came to a sidekick before Justion Long was Sammy J. And well - Sammy J. is the best sidekick anyone could ask for. Just look at National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon. Game set match.

But really - coming from a position of having seen the fourth before the rest should make you appreciate the original even more than me. The first Die Hard isn't about budget, huge ass explosions or any of that. It's a slim, lean action flick that I'm proud to call "My Favorite Christmas Movie of All Time".

Votes: +0