The Crazies- Spoiler Free Review

I heard this movie was pretty good, so I tracked down a copy.  I remember something about when it came to the theater, but I am sure it did poorly and no one made a big deal about the DVD release.  It is a remake of a movie that I have not seen from 1973, I believe (too lazy to look, but not so lazy that I won't waste a sentence explaining why I didn't look).  It stars Timothy Olyphant (from other movies starring Timothy Olyphant) and a bunch of people I have never heard of.

Plot- Yeah, you have been here before.  Even if it wasn't a remake, this is the plot to several zombie movies with some subtle changes.  The movie keeps a pretty quick pace and does an excellent job of setting mood and building suspense.  The military is punching bag, which is over done and not fair to people that are in or have been in the military. 

Characters- As the action takes place over the course of about 3 days, you can't expect too much character development, but there wasn't any really.  Characters act in the way that you expect them to act.  The actors all did well in their one dimensional roles, but the deputy puts forth the most memorable performance.

Cinematography- A lot of the movie was too dark.  I was watching at night with the lights out and I couldn't make everything out, this may have been to help establish the mood, but it was distracting.  It is possible that this is just a problem with my equipment so let me know if you experienced anything different. 

Overall-  It was decent way to pass some time.  It will make you jump in a couple places and that usually makes a movie worth it for me.  It is a retread plot that doesn't say anything.  This movie is happy just being a horror movie.  I would keep the kiddies way from this one as it is pretty gory and intense at places.  There is also some language.  If you like zombie movies (technically they were not zombies, but they were) you should enjoy this movie.  Just don't expect any social commentary.

On a seperate note is Timothy Olyphant just a poor man's Bill Paxton?