The Crazies Review

Starring: Timothy Olyphant, Radha Mitchell, Danielle Panabaker, Joe Anderson
Director: Breck Eisner
Rating: 3/5

It seems that every horror movie that has ever been made had got a twenty first century makeover, and now it's the turn of George A Romero's The Crazies.

David Dutten is sheriff of Ogden Marsh, a picture-perfect American town with happy, law-abiding citizens. But one night, one of them comes to a school baseball game with a loaded shotgun, ready to kill.

Another man burns down his own house-after locking his wife and young son in a closet inside. Within days, the town has transformed into a sickening asylum; people who days ago lived quiet, unremarkable lives have now become depraved, blood-thirsty killers, hiding in the darkness with guns and knives.

Sheriff Dutten tries to make sense of what's happening as the horrific, nonsensical violence escalates.

Something is infecting the citizens of Ogden Marsh with insanity. Now complete anarchy reigns as one by one the townsfolk succumb to an unknown toxin and turn sadistically violent.

Ok, ok so this movie doesn't exactly brim with originality; something is turning townsfolk into killers, everything descends into chaos as the infected turn on those who are not ill as they fight to survive, found familiar?

Yes we have seen all of this before, more times that I wish to remember, but that doesn't stop this from being a fast paced and exciting movie.

Eisner has produced a movie that is bloody, savage and really unflinching, the garden folk through the chest of several characters springs to mind.

It ticks all of the horror boxes an orderly town descending into chaos, the infected out of control as well as plenty of jumps along the way.

A great aspect of the movie is the government genocide as the military roll in and begin to kill everyone, despite the fact that it's actually their fault!

I appreciate that it's not going to stimulate any of the grey cells while you are watching it but it's a great piece of entertainment that is well worth a watch.

Timothy Olyphant is great in the central role as Sherrif Dutten who searches for answers while trying to protect his pregnant wife.

Despite some dodgy performances in the past it's a strong turn from Olyphant and it's good to see Radha Mitchell in something a little more mainstream.

What The Crazies lacks in originality it more than makes up for with a tight and concise storyline that is well paced, keeps your attention as well as keeping you on the edge of your seat.

The Crazies is out now.

FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw