The Crazies 2010 (SPOILERS) - REVIEW

In a time where remakes are "all the rage" I found this one to be a breath of fresh air. Breck Eisner turns this film (a remake of the 1973 George A. Romero's movie) into a nail biting, fast paced, thrill a minute movie. Not only is it well done but it's well acted and it has some of the best "jump scares" that I've seen in a long time. So often in horror films they are over used and without inspiration... (the girl walking backward into the killer, etc). This movie plays exceedingly fair with the "jump scares" because in fact, if you see something moving, it is one of the crazies and not a cat. The suspense builds and builds so that when the scare comes, you're already about to pop out of your seat.

So, what goes wrong in the quaint little town of Ogden Marsh? The better question would be, what doesn't go wrong? From the government conspiracy to the raging maniacs running through town to the shoot first ask questions later military guys.

Timothy Olyphant does a great job as Sheriff David Dutt*n (spelled Dutton in the credits but Dutten the one time we see it on screen) stuck in the middle of a town thats residents have gone completely bonkers. Being from a small town myself, I can tell you that there is nothing worse than a bunch of seemingly cracked up hillbillies (kidding but not really). Sheriff Dutton is the kind of guy who rises to the occasion, but doesn't surpass it completely. If you're looking for a Commando type hero, this movie isn't for you. He has to constantly fight with his own instincts and change his attitude during the course of the movie (save everyone, save a few, save himself).



Along with his deputy (Joe Anderson) Sheriff Dutton rescues his doctor wife (Radha Mitchell) and Becca Darling (Danielle Panabaker) from the nut job principal that dispenses justice in the form of a pitch fork. Scary right? Well that's not even the worst of it. Then they have to deal with the "hillbilly" crazies trolling the streets for survivors that they shoot and throw in the back of their pick-up. THEN the military comes in and isolates the sick from the rest of the town, or so we think. Turns out, they're sole mission is to wipe out the entire town, sick or not, by shoving them into cattle trailers and executing them in large groups.



The car wash scene was particularly claustrophobic for me. Crazies around every corner, busting windows with their faces, yanking people out with cords, poor Danielle Panabaker can't catch a break in these horror films, not to mention you have a possibly infected companion in the back seat and a military chopper circling above. (BREATHE). If ever there was a time to "get the fuck outta dodge", that would be it.



Ultimately, 'The Crazies' is the rare remake that gets the job done, and manages to actually improve on the original. Then there's that really fun cameo appearance from the original's own Lynn Lowery, herself something of a cult icon. While this movie does have its share of gore, it's not excessive and, in my opinion, is just enough to satisfy even my greedy needs. The film comes at you full speed and is very gripping. One moment I was tense and on the edge of my seat, the next I was laughing, but never once was I bored or left wanting more. When I can say that about a horror film, it's always going to be high on my list. Films like THE CRAZIES give us hope to the slowly dying horror genre. Let's hope Hollywood makes more movies like this.




Release Date: February 26, 2010
Director: Breck Eisner
Writer: Ray Wright Scott Kosar
Starring: Timothy Olyphant
Radha Mitchell
Danielle Panabaker
Joe Anderson
Studio: Overture
Rating: R