So last night I watched the movie 'The Crazies', but does this film deliver craziness on another level? Here's my mini review:
Lets get one thing straight, this movie is not about 'Zombies!' (although that was my first instinct). The movie is about the inhabitants of a small lowa town plagued by insanity and then death after a mysterious toxin contaminates their water supply. So in case you're thinking this is going to be like a 'Dawn of the Dead' clone, then think again.
So as soon as I got back home I decided I'd watch the original (I know how can I watch the same film twice in one night!). I can definitely say that although in theory they are the same film, both films have qualities which make them their own. George Romero's 1973 version was known as a cult classic, fun yet a very memorable low-budget film. The original liked to focus more on the government and the scientists trying to find a cure, with tads of chaos here and there. This new remake chose to take a different route although still keeping faithful to the original's story. This film had enough depth to the story, yet well balanced allowing there to be enough tension, violence and subtle humor. As there weren't too many violent scenes, when there were it was great, it may come across as a negative (to those who want action action action!), but at the same time saying that it allowed the film to create an errie atmosphere, keeping the audience guessing when the next turn of events would go bad.
Pros: Although nothing new here the execution was done very well. All actors gave strong performances and added some depth to their roles. The film has a great pace to it allowing it to keep you on edge. A nice slow start which then lets loose throughout the rest of the film. Mild fractions of humor here and there yet not overly done. It keeps faithful to the original, yet standing on its own enough so it doesn't come across as just another poor adaption of a cult classic.
Cons: If you've seen one viral outbreak movie, it's most likely you've seen them all. I'm not going to spoil the ending for you, but lets just hope they don't do what they did to the matrix, which should have been left as one film and not turned into a trilogy.
My final thoughts are, although it may come across as a 'Left 4 Dead' sort of movie and you're worried it may be just another poor remake, just give it a try anyway. This is one remake which is better than any that have come out in a long time. It should please people fans of the original and yet those who want to just see something new and exciting. It's an enjoyable film which has all aspects of how a horror should be. Go watch it NOW! ...(or at least sometime soon!)
My rating: 8/10
Yours,
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