The Crazies

Jeri Jacquin, Movie Maven

Opening in theatres this Friday from director Breck Eisner and Overture Films is a scary look at the neighborhood with “The Crazies”.

This film tells the story of David Dutton (Olyphant), a sheriff of the small town of Ogden Marsh, Iowa. Along with his pregnant wife Judy (Radha Mitchell), the town doctor, they are living the small town life.

That is until one day during the opening day of baseball, the town just isn’t what it use to be. Dutton and his deputy Russell Clank (Joe Anderson), have no choice but to gun down one of the townies who – well – just ain’t right in the head.

Almost overnight the town sees more and more folks turning into killers. That is until the military converges on the town and seals it off. A biological weapon has hit Ogden Marsh and one by one the townies fall. Dutton and his wife escape capture and along with Deputy Clank, make a run for it.

No matter how far they run – the Crazies are not far behind.

FINAL WORD: What is there to say – seriously. This is a zombie film but not quite because they townies are not really zombies although they have zombie like tendencies without the heart and brain eating? Blah!

Olyphant is fine as the town sheriff and has all the right emotional responses to the given situations. There are even moments where he’s kind of funny! Mitchell as his wife Judy was a tad past annoying but I’ll let her slide – she’s pregnant after all.

My favorite character was Deputy Clank. Just a gun-ho-kill-em-all type who really has a good heart – and I don’t mean with ketchup either. Just watching his reaction to everything made me laugh.

Other cast include: Danielle Panabaker as Becca Darling, Preston Bailey as the short lived Nicholas, John Aylward as the town Mayor, Christie Lynn Smith as Deardra and Bret Rickaby as Bill.

TUBS OF POPCORN: I give “The Crazies” two and a half tubs of popcorn out of five. The best I can say about it is Olyphant was easy on the eyes and the worst I can say is – SEEN IT. The premise is predictable, the story is a wash but it has plenty of blood and gore if that makes up for the rest.

I would actually rather re-watch “Zombieland” than sit through this again. My worst nightmare will probably come true when “The Crazies” plays on HBO or some other cable channel and Archie has the remote and I’m forced to sit through it again to appease the man! I mean if I’m going to watch people go nuts at least it will be far more entertaining with Bill Murray in it.

In the end – fear thy neighbor!