I had one primary reason for watching this movie: Timothy Olyphant was the star. Olyphant was an actor I had not even heard of one year ago. F/X had a new show this season called Justified, and Olyphant was the star. I gave the show a chance. It hooked me from the first scene in the first episode. There are many reasons why I like the television show, but one of those is Olyphant. He plays the role of US Marshall well. So, I have been looking back at Olyphant’s filmography and saw he had the leading role in The Crazies. I like Olyphant, and horror movies generally perk my interest, so checking this film out was a no-brainer.

The Crazies is more of a reinvention than a remake of George Romero’s 1973 classic. The plot revolves around a biochemical warfare virus that has made its way into the water supply of a small, close-knit town. The film’s opening scene involves an infected town resident who shows up to a Little League baseball game with a shotgun. Town Sheriff David Dutton (Olyphant) has no choice but to gun him down. Soon after that, we learn of a string of other town residents who are slowly going insane as well. Before too long, half of the town residents are going crazy, and it often becomes a guessing game about who has been infected and who has not. The military becomes involved, Olyphant tries to save the town, and the clichés continue.

Director Breck Eisner (Sahara) seems less concerned with making a social statement than Romero was with his original. Eisner seems only interested in bringing a zombie flick to the big screen, interspersing it with the occasional shock and some dark and slightly twisted humor.

I’m a big fan of movies revolving around infectious diseases. I’ve seen Outbreak a handful of times, not necessarily because it’s a good movie, but because it is on TNT every other day. The Crazies lacks Outbreak’s star power; because of this, it is more successful. At the same time, however, this movie would never attract the likes of Dustin Hoffman, Morgan Freeman, or Rene Ruso. The Crazies is a movie that did not need a remake, but since it is a George Romero original, there was money to be made. The Romero remakes peaked with 2004’s Dawn of the Dead (Ving Rhames, Mekhi Phifer). Land of the Dead, Survival of the Dead, Diary of the Dead, and The Crazies seemed more interested in making a quick buck than retelling a classic story.

Plot 6/10
Character Development 5/10
Character Chemistry 5/10
Acting 5/10
Screenplay 5/10
Directing 5/10
Cinematography 5/10
Sound 5/10
Hook and Reel 6/10
Universal Relevance 6/10
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