The Crazies (2010)

As a toxin begins to turn the residents of Ogden Marsh, Iowa, into violent psychopaths, sheriff David Dutton (Timothy Olyphant) tries to make sense of the situation while he, his wife (Radha Mitchell), and two other unaffected townspeople band together in a fight for survival.

The Crazies is a 2010 American horror film directed by Breck Eisner. It is a remake of the 1973 film of the same name by George A. Romero, who is also the executive producer and co-writer of the remake.

The Crazies (2010) stars Timothy Olyphant and Radha Mitchell as David and Judy, a happy, married couple expecting a baby. The film takes place in the fictional town of Ogden Marsh, Pierce County, Iowa, nicknamed the “friendliest place on Earth,” whose town water supply is accidentally infected with the “Trixie” virus. After an incubation period of 48 hours, this virus gradually transforms the mental state of the infected into that of cold, calculating, depraved, bloodthirsty killers, who then prey on family and neighbors alike.

I haven’t actually seen the original 1973 version but I will definitely seeking it out soon so I can compare it. I really enjoyed The Crazies and thought it offered something a little different. I wouldn’t class it as a zombie film really, as although it appears as though people are coming back from the dead, they don’t really. The infection takes over but rather than become a walking zombie with no real thinking process like in The Walking Dead for example, here after infection they become bloodthirsty killers but also able to process thoughts and carry out actions. I liked this approach as it offered something different from the usual zombie type of film.

I really like Timothy Olyphant (Hitman, Die Hard 4) and Radha Mitchell (Silent Hill, Rogue) and I feel they were very watchable and put in a great performance here. Joined by Joe Anderson (The Ruins – a great movie!, The River – a great tv show, sadly cancelled) and Danielle Panabaker (Friday the 13th remake) we follow this band of survivors as they try to escape the town. Early on the military take everyone from the town to a military camp where they test everyone to see who has the infection. As the camp eventually gets over run and people flee, David tries to rescue his wife who is still tied up in the camp. After surviving this the group of 4 try to evade the military, infected and fellow survivors who have turned to killers/hunters, all the while trying to work out what the hell is going on.

The virus takes over and becomes noticeable as people start exhibiting bizarre behavior, such as repetitive speech. We get to witness this when a local farmer burns his house down with his wife and son trapped inside, killing them. There are plenty of moments throughout the film when we see the virus starting to take hold of its victims. A really cool scene occurs when the group make it back to David & Judy’s house, and they are not alone. It shows that whilst people are infected they can still be clever and calculating. Definitely adds some scares too, scenes where the infected just appear in the corner of the shot are well executed. It wasn’t too violent or bloody. There is enough to keep horror fans happy though, some shotgun deaths and a pitchfork wielding infected being the highlight in the killing stakes. It was more about making a tension filled movie rather than overdoing the gore, and with a great story and solid acting they succeeded.

I thought the pace of the film was great, and it kept me in suspense the whole time. I was never bored and the scenery and location never got repetitive. The Crazies added some nice touches to try and be more of a unique viewing experience, adding in a political agenda and the military executing everyone for example. A few decisions made by the characters seemed a bit questionable, and as always there are moments when the husband leaves the wife alone, and I just feel it’s a bit of a cliché, never let your wife out of your site as she is never where you left her! 🙂

In closing I enjoyed The Crazies and it has made me want to go out and watch the original. There was no real weakness in the film as such, nothing that I hated, but really nothing that absolutely blew me away, just a really solid movie. The ending was nice if not predictable, but it left the door wide open for a Part 2 which I hope one day will happen.

Posted by Tysoncarter182 on July 20, 2012

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