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THE CRAZIES (2010)Movie Reviews
Science fiction horror tale about a picture-perfect town that is suddenly afflicted with a sickness that turns its inhabitants into bloodthirsty killers. Cast:Timothy Olyphant, Radha Mitchell, Danielle Panabaker, Joe AndersonDirector:Breck EisnerRelease Date:February 26, 2010DVD Release:June 29, 2010From:Overture FilmsRating:RLength:1 hr 41 min
JUNE 29, 2010
The Crazies (2010), Good (Not Great) Reviews, Mixed
The Crazies (2010) played to good not great reviews. Reviews were mixed. • Cary Darling wrote in the Dallas Morning News, "...a taut, suspenseful joyride through the zombie nation... a B-movie in the best sense of the word, proving big names and a bigger budget aren't necessary for creativity." • And Owen Gleiberman wrote in Entertainment Weekly, "...we've seen it a jillion times before." More Reviews Below...
The Crazies (2010) Positive Reviews (35 Reviews, reviews below)
Richard Corliss, Time: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...an efficient thriller... but you have to give Eisner points for knowing where all the bodies are buried, and how to unearth them suddenly for maximum effect."(See all of Richard Corliss's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 883 words, 02/26/10
Glenn Whipp, Associated Press: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a zombie movie per se, it derives much of its horror from the same fear... a beautifully shot film that contains equal measures of style and gore."(See all of Glenn Whipp's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 496 words, 02/25/10
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: MODERATE(cg) "Here's what I can say for sure about the humanoid attackers in the new version of 'The Crazies': They're not very interesting.... we've seen it a jillion times before."(See all of Owen Gleiberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 457 words, 02/26/10
James Berardinelli, Reel Views: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...the fast pace and generally sympathetic characters will keep most viewers interested, at least until the final 30 minutes when it begins to wear out its reputation..."(See all of James Berardinelli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 785 words, 02/25/10
Claudia Puig, USA Today: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...familiar B-movie fare, but it's also lively fun and presented with well-paced flair. Be sure to watch it in a safe and contained area."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 337 words, 02/26/10
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "You need zombies. You need heroes.... When you figure you're up to around 90 minutes, the sun can rise. You'll get an R rating, so throw in a little nudity."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 738 words, 02/25/10
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (11 Reviews)
Mike Hale, New York Times: WEAK "...has the imprimatur of the master: Mr. Romero is executive producer of the new film. Unfortunately, it doesn't have his style or sense of humor."(See all of Mike Hale's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 324 words, 02/26/10
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: POOR(cg) "There's nothing wrong with cheesy horror... Unfortunately, 'The Crazies' has warmed-over chills and a muddled, zombie-like execution."(See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 426 words, 02/26/10
Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times: FAIR "...loud, squishy and jokey redo simply reflects other movies, including westerns, disaster flicks and zombie creep-outs.... amounts to genre-regimented madness."(See all of Robert Abele's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 400 words, 02/26/10
Kyle Smith, New York Post: WEAK(cg) "...lucky for you this is the kind of movie that inspires audiences to contribute their own bon mots. 'Pop dat fool! Pop him!' cried one citizen at the screening I attended."(See all of Kyle Smith's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 649 words, 02/26/10
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "You need zombies. You need heroes.... When you figure you're up to around 90 minutes, the sun can rise. You'll get an R rating, so throw in a little nudity."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 738 words, 02/25/10
Chuck Wilson, Village Voice/LA Weekly: VERY GOOD "English actor Joe Anderson nearly steals the movie... Olyphant grounds it with his ever-fascinating mix of soulfulness and swagger. Any day now, he's gonna be a star."(See all of Chuck Wilson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 218 words, 02/23/10
Linda Barnard, Toronto Star: VERY GOOD(cg) "Eisner brings plenty of tension and some gratifying scares amid the ordinariness of Main Street U.S.A.... That's not to say splatter fans don't get their fix. They do."(See all of Linda Barnard's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 531 words, 02/26/10
Rick Groen, Toronto Globe & Mail: MODERATE(cg) "The script tries to get some au courant terrorist mileage out of this, but quickly gets bored with the effort. Almost as quickly as we do."(See all of Rick Groen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 542 words, 02/26/10
Josep Parera, La Opinion: VERY GOOD(cg) "...funciona por la inteligente labor de Breck Eisner quien demuestra saber manejar los resortes del cine de terror y acción con envidiables clasicismo y funcionalidad."(See all of Josep Parera's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 479 words, 02/26/10
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...at first, entertainingly creepy and intense [but] director Breck Eisner ('Sahara') cranks up the gore to levels that are overpowering and unpalatable."(See all of Steven Rea's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 392 words, 02/26/10
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle/San Francisco Chronicle: WEAK(cg) "The characters are standard issue... Eisner has almost nothing on his mind, no political rumblings, nothing behind the urge to upgrade vintage trash."(See all of Amy Biancolli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 561 words, 02/26/10
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: MODERATE(cg) "...a lean little thriller that doesn't mess around.... But after 'Zombieland,' 'The Crazies' struggles to find novelty and laughs..."(See all of Roger Moore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 413 words, 02/26/10
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a slick fearjerker... when director Breck Eisner begins turning off the lights and setting homes on fire, it transforms nicely into an atmospherically chilling hell on earth."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 491 words, 02/26/10
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a taut horror film, wasting no time establishing its premise: a picturesque Iowa town is driven insane by a toxin released into the water... a lot of fun for horror fans..."(See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 667 words, 02/26/10
Cary Darling, Dallas Morning News: EXCELLENT(cg) "...a taut, suspenseful joyride through the zombie nation... a B-movie in the best sense of the word, proving big names and a bigger budget aren't necessary for creativity."(See all of Cary Darling's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 361 words, 02/26/10
Ty Burr, Boston Globe: VERY GOOD(cg) "I don't want to oversell the movie - its pleasures are very much of the drive-in. Still, it knows that if you trust your audience you can get away with almost anything..."(See all of Ty Burr's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 728 words, 02/26/10
Ted Fry, Seattle Times: MODERATE(cg) "...director Breck Eisner (former Disney chief Michael Eisner's son) stumbles in playing up an inherent tension that could have given audiences their own case of the crazies."(See all of Ted Fry's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 428 words, 02/26/10
Tom Long, Detroit News: MODERATE(cg) "Director Breck Eisner ('Sahara') creates an eerie mood early but can't sustain it, and doesn't make us care about the characters once they're pared down to a few survivors."(See all of Tom Long's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 288 words, 02/26/10
Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: VERY GOOD(cg) "Directed with great style and unusual restraint by Breck Eisner... You may not remember 'The Crazies' in a month, but you'll have a grand time watching it."(See all of Rene Rodriguez's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 460 words, 02/26/10
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (5 Reviews)
Chuck Wilson, Village Voice/LA Weekly: VERY GOOD "English actor Joe Anderson nearly steals the movie... Olyphant grounds it with his ever-fascinating mix of soulfulness and swagger. Any day now, he's gonna be a star."(See all of Chuck Wilson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 218 words, 02/23/10
Tom Meek, Boston Phoenix: VERY GOOD(cg) "...boasts many expertly gruesome moments without too much overkill. It's a smart meat-and-potatoes-and-gore throwback."(See all of Tom Meek's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 150 words, 03/04/10
Keith Phipps, AV Club: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Whatever contemporary resonance it might have had gets lost in a procession of competent -- and sometimes slightly better than competent -- shocks."(See all of Keith Phipps's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 317 words, 02/25/10
Mike Hale, New York Times: WEAK "...has the imprimatur of the master: Mr. Romero is executive producer of the new film. Unfortunately, it doesn't have his style or sense of humor."(See all of Mike Hale's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 324 words, 02/26/10
Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times: FAIR "...loud, squishy and jokey redo simply reflects other movies, including westerns, disaster flicks and zombie creep-outs.... amounts to genre-regimented madness."(See all of Robert Abele's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 400 words, 02/26/10
MOVIE INDUSTRY (5 Reviews)
Dennis Harvey, Daily Variety: GOOD "...above-average... equal parts horror-meller and doomsday action thriller.... More tense than truly shocking or scary, the pic does manage some good setpieces..."(See all of Dennis Harvey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 745 words, 02/25/10
Michael Rechtshaffen, Hollywood Reporter: VERY GOOD "...surprisingly satisfying... doesn't stint on the visceral kicks demanded by contemporary audiences while remaining reasonably true to those Romero roots."(See all of Michael Rechtshaffen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 389 words, 02/25/10
Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times: FAIR "...loud, squishy and jokey redo simply reflects other movies, including westerns, disaster flicks and zombie creep-outs.... amounts to genre-regimented madness."(See all of Robert Abele's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 400 words, 02/26/10
Mike Hale, New York Times: WEAK "...has the imprimatur of the master: Mr. Romero is executive producer of the new film. Unfortunately, it doesn't have his style or sense of humor."(See all of Mike Hale's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 324 words, 02/26/10
19.6 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
The Crazies (2010)'s reviews are separated by an average 19.6 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
The Crazies (2010) (35 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:The Crazies (2010)'s reviews cover 61.2% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 15,775 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 451 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 2.3 Hours Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
The Crazies (2010)'s reviews on average broke 2.3 hours before opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is The Crazies (2010)'s opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
The Crazies (2010) (35 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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