The Crazies

The Crazies

Starring: Timothy Olyphant, Radha Mitchell, Joe Anderson, Danielle Panabaker

Director: Breck Eisner

Runtime: 101 Minutes

The Crazies is a moderately successful horror film that relies on some of the usual boo moments, but also creates a fairly foreboding atmosphere that coupled with solid performances, makes for a solid movie experience.  

Centering around a small town that after a toxin is accidentally released into the town's water supply the citizens start exhibiting unusual behavior.  Soon the military is in the town and separating the infected from the uninfected.  The town's sheriff (Timothy Olyphant) sneaks away after being led to buses for the uninfected to release his pregnant wife (Radha Mitchell).  When he returns the military has left town and the couple are left with an older teen (Danielle Panabaker) and the town deputy (Joe Anderson).  The four have no choice but to leave town where the crazies are still running amok.

The film's strongest aspect is the atmosphere it creates.  Along with a minimal score there is always a sense of something lurking in the shadows, and while you expect some of the boo moments, plenty of tension exists.  The opening moments of the movie are especially strong, particularly a confrontation at a high school baseball game where one on of the infected residents walks onto the field with a shotgun.  At this point the audience remains as confused as everyone else as odd incidents continue to happen around town.  The rest of the movie plays like your average chase/escape flick with you usual band of survivors.  Despite that the movie has several well filmed scenes, including an attack in a car wash and the climax at a truck stop.  

The film is at its weakest when involving the military, as the Eisner never fully makes them into the villains that he wants them to be.  Additionally, the military as antagonist is a storyline that has been overused so any impact has been mooted.     Neither does the movie have much to tell us, any chance to make social commentary were missed.  The script could have easily spent some time exploring small town dynamics and hysteria, particularly in an increasing urban age.  

None of that however, takes away from the rather engrossing experience that doesn't run too long.  The Crazies certainly is better than other horror film remakes (Friday the 13th, Halloween, The Hitcher and Last House on the Left), and early moments of the movie recall some of the lower budget horror movies of the 70's.

B