THE CRAZIES
Written by Joseph B. Mauceri   
RELEASING: Paramount Pictures
SYNOPSIS: The American Dream goes horribly wrong when the residents of this picture-perfect town begin to succumb to an uncontrollable urge for violence and the horrific bloodshed escalates into anarchy. In an attempt to contain the epidemic, the military uses deadly force to close off access into or out of town, abandoning the few healthy citizens to the growing mayhem as depraved killers lurk in the shadows.

Sheriff David Dutton (OLYPHANT); his pregnant wife, Judy (MITCHELL); Becca (PANABAKER), an assistant at the medical center; and Russell (ANDERSON), Dutton’s deputy and right-hand man, find themselves trapped in a once-idyllic town they can no longer recognize. Unable to trust former neighbors and friends, deserted by the authorities and terrified of contracting the illness themselves, they are forced to band together in a nightmarish struggle for survival. (Provided by studio)

CREW: Director - Breck Eisner; Screenplay - Scott Kosar & Ray Wright; Based on – George A. Romero’s 1973 The Crazies; Producers - Michael Aguilar, Rob Cowan, & Dean Georgaris; Cinematography - Maxime Alexandre; Score – Mark Isham; Editing – Billy Fox; Production Design - Andrew Menzies; Costume Design - George L. Little; Special Effects Makeup Designer - Robert Hall; Special Makeup Effects Supervisor - Erik Porn; Special Prosthetic Effects - Almost Human; Visual Effects - Zoic Studios, Comen VFX, & XY&Z.

CAST: TIMOTHY OLYPHANT… Sheriff David Dutton; RADHA MITCHELL… Dr. Judy Dutton; JOE ANDERSON… Russell Clank; DANIELLE PANABAKER… Becca Darling; CHRISTIE LYNN SMITH... Deardra Farnum; BRETT RICKABY... Bill Farnum; PRESTON BAILEY... Nicholas; JOHN AYLWARD... Mayor Hobbs; JOE REEGAN... Pvt. Billy Babcock; GLENN MORSHOWER... Intelligence Officer; LARRY CEDAR... Ben Sandborn.

OFFICIAL WEB SITE: www.thecrazies-movie.com
**"REEL" Value:
Story:                       
$12.50
Direction:                 
$12.50
Acting:                    
$12.50
Editing:                   
$12.50
Production Design:
$12.50
Special Effects:     
$12.50
Score/Music:         
$12.50
Costumes:
$12.50
 VALUE:
$12.50
- THE CRAZIES is a solid updating of George A. Romero’s classic 1973 film that in many ways is refreshingly superior to the original. In the two key positions of director and screenwriter are seasoned filmmakers with credits that demonstrate a passion for the genre. While director Eisner made his feature debut with “Sahara,” he developed his chops in television working on genre projects like “The Invisible Man,” “Taken,” and “Fear Itself.” Screenwriter Ray Wright is the junior writer, but Scott Kosar’s work in dark realms is clearly event in his noteworthy screenplays for “The Machinist,” and the Platinum Dunes remakes of “The Amityville Horror” and “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.” They strip out the extemporaneous subplots and side stories of Romero’s early film and focus the drama on the nightmare journey of the sheriff and doctor, husband and wife, on their journey for survival. There was a good pacing to the film that was a combination of the editing and the swift response by a modern military to this type of biological event. They start the film off with a bang, raising the bar of the tension and suspense and maintain it thru the entire film.

I felt their choice of locations with sprawling vistas, the production designs, and the special effects had a genuine artist blending that not only severed the story but created this homogeneous feel to the story that was a kin to what you might find in a graphic novel. You could feel there was a lot of thought into the idea of this contagion and how those physical effects would progress. While in some of the trailers you might get the impression that they ultimately become zombies, but that is fare from the case. There is an utter breakdown of the infected person’s mental faculties that then begins to cause a deterioration of their outward physical appearance. They become increasing savage but they never become a zombie, especially in the George Romero sense of the word. You also get the impression that there was a method to their madness, which they drew on to create genuinely shocking moments in the film.

Given the nature of the story you would expect a large cast, but by crafting this as the tale of a husband and wife caught up in this drama the story resides on the shoulders of the two main leads. I’ve been a big fan of Timothy Olyphant since “Deadwood,” and enjoyed his performances in “Hitman,” as well as “Live Free or Die Hard” and “A Perfect Getaway,” and he does an excellent job here. I’ve been an equally big fan of Radha Mitchell, who most people will probably remember from “Rogue,” but has been equally impressive in her appearances in “Silent Hill,” “Man on Fire,” “Phone Booth,” and opposite Bruce Willis this past summer in “The Surrogates.” You feel a connection between that draws you into the story and that’s the lynchpin that takes you along for the ride. While both stars are comfortable in action roles, the demands here are realistic. They’re pushed to extremes, without have to become “action heroes,” and they allow you to feel their characters struggling and frightening for survival.

I do need to mention Mark Isham’s excellent score that adds another emotional layer to the film, as well as the filmmakers interesting use of two particular songs at the opening and closing of the film.

THE CRAZIES is a skillfully crafted reworking and updating of George Romero’s film. It’s interesting to compare how political views have changed between the films, however the frightening realization of our government’s realization that an event like this could happen and their horrifying response still makes for terrifying cinema. Excellent cast, above average visuals and frightening effects delivers the goods for all the right scares.
** Based on the regular $12.50 ticket prices at a Manhattan theater Feb. 26h, 2010.