Swanner: In a small Iowa town some of the neighbors are acting pretty strange. The Sheriff (Timothy Olyphant) and his Doctor wife (Radha Mitchell) are discovering that they a handful of survivors that aren’t loosing their minds … or are they? Turns out the towns water is tainted after a government plane crashes that was carrying a new chemical warfare agent. Now the government has arrived to help with the clean up of the town and as usual the government has has another meaning to the phrase “clean up the town”.
Judd: This is a remake George Romero’s The Crazies released in 1973. Romero is known for creating zombie films that have a political message or make the viewer think; while the plot of this remake is slightly different, the scares are still genuine and Romero’s talent for making thought-provoking horror is still very much intact.
Swanner: One of Romero’s signature plot twists is leaving the characters doomed with very little chance for salvation. Director Breck Eisner keeps that thread running throughout this remake. I’m tired of watching films where I never worry about certain characters because there is a blue print for making horror movies that says these people have to live. That doesn’t apply here. Anyone can die and that had me on edge.
Judd: I was going to start complaining about horror movies “these days” but there was a lot of crap put out during the late 70’s through 80’s halcyon days of horror films. Guys like George Romero, Wes Craven and John Carpenter were a cut above and rose above the rest. It’s unfortunate that The Crazies is a remake, because I think that Breck Eisner has shown he has a knack for directing horror. As I said before, the scares are genuine and he doesn’t depend on cheap “jumping at shadows” thrills. The violence is graphic, but not gross and the characters aren’t just stereotypes.
Swanner: I know the original spent more time with the military but I like that we stayed with the survivors. The military storyline unveils itself in time and I really grew to like our protagonists. I also liked that they didn’t try to make this a star vehicle. Olyphant and Mitchell have had their successes but this is a genre driven film with a pretty much unknown cast and that really makes it work. It was scary but its more creepy since this feels more real than most of its “zombie” counterparts.
Judd: I think the real performer to watch here is Joe Anderson as Deputy Russell Clank. His character is offers the most range from the beginning of the movie until the end, and Anderson fully embodies it. Not to mention he’s easy on the eyes. What’s more amazing is that I had no idea he’s British until I looked him up online, because let me tell you he pulled off the Wranglers and the fumanchu really, really well. He didn’t literally pull them off, though I wish he would have … never mind. I sound like Tom.
Swanner: 
Judd: ½
