quietearth [Celluloid 02.26.10] movie review horror



Year: 2009
Directors: Breck Eisner
Writers: Scott Eisner & Ray Wright (I'm not putting the mans name on this mess)
IMDB: link
Trailer: link
Review by: quietearth
Rating: 3 out of 10

For those expecting a virus or plague flick, you're going to be sorely disappointed. The Crazies plays out like a simple horror-survival movie, and a weak one at that. It shares only a few plot points with its predecessor (which is btw, much much better) and fits solidly into formulaic Hollywood territory. Don't bother seeing it, in fact, I can't even recommend it as a rental. Go see the original.


What starts in a nice little farming town slowly escalates as the "crazies", infected by something in the water (it shares the same crashed plane from the original) slowly come out of the woodwork. The sheriff and his doctor wife (sound familiar?) are on the front lines as the town deals with the unknown over a day or so, but that's before the military is called in for containment. Instead of the great dialogue and dynamics in the original, we get a terse amount of conversing meant only to set up the story and keep it moving along.

From here the faceless military takes the town over with no explanation whatsoever, and our heroes our off on the run. ***SPOILER*** And the rest of the film is basically this fight for survival, running into the random "crazie" but with no real death or destruction or actual "craziness".

You're probably wondering what this shares with Romero's much superior original film. The plane crashing causing the contamination, a guy burning his house early on (you can see this in the trailer) and the overall idea of the military trying to contain the problem. But that's where the similarity unfortunately ends.

In the end, my friend and I were so bored with this film we could only point out one great part, and unfortunately I can't give that little gem away. But even that scene can't salvage this mess. Seriously folks, don't bother.

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Ben Austwick (12 years ago) Reply

Ouch. Didn't have high hopes for this one anyway. Hopefully some good will come of it and people will rediscover the original.

Phoebe (12 years ago) Reply

Darn, that's disappointing. My friends and I were going to go see it too...we love the original.

jason b (12 years ago) Reply

ive read seven total reviews for this film so far, and yours is the only negative one i have come across. in fact, the other articles poured very high praise onto this film, and it was unexpected to say the least, as they are not easily impressed at all.

this is the first time ive read a review on your site, so i'm going to stick with my trusted sites and their reviewers accolades for this film.

repojahc (12 years ago) Reply

Damn guys,,what the hell happened,some bad popcorn or sumth ? :>
I've also read some very positive reviews of this film,i'm quite surprised u didnt enjoy it.I love super low budget films just like romeros original ,but with the added bonus of having Timothy Olyphant leading this ,i reckon this will be a stonking good film!
Yes,yes i haven't seen it yet..but i'm gagging to see it!!

Ticklish (12 years ago) Reply

It's funny, because i think the original is one of Romero's worst and plain boring.

Kurt (12 years ago) Reply

Quiet Earth is closer to the truth (in part, I'm kinda flabbergasted with the 60% (fresh) rating on RT. - my theory is that usually horror remakes are even worse, so this one is getting a pass by not being as bas as usual).

I can see a few strengths in the film (the performances, a consistent look with a relatively low budget, a willingness to divide the film into many set-pieces). But overall there is nothing in this film that wasn't done 100x better in 28 Weeks Later.

The Crazies is a TBS Superstation, middle of a lazy-sunday timewaster, not really worthy of anyones $10. But yea, you don't see any Boom Mikes or Green-Screen lines (see Steven Miner's DAY OF THE DEAD remake for that!)

Citizen Hawk (12 years ago) Reply

7.75 out of 10 Im glad I went with my gut other than listen to this review.
TOTALLY Disagree with this review. It's never dull, characters are believable, so theres some cliche in it but isnt that expected? I liked the suspense. How many times did something not pop out at you when you expected it? It also wasnt a tired toture porn.

I havent seen the original and this version stood on its own legs.

Quiet Earth you've been letting me down for a while now but this review cements it. you've lost your vision

Citizen Hawk (12 years ago) Reply

OMG youve go to be insane the original sucks ass. the 2010 version is 1000x better.

Who ever wrote this review needs to be removed from the QE staff.

Deep Blue (12 years ago) Reply

I don't know, after reading someone reviewer on this site talk about what great movie "doomsday" was I have been kind of skeptical of the reviews

mike (12 years ago) Reply

The people who run Quiet Earth are self appointed no-bodies with no talent (no advertisers either). Check out the Rotten Tomatoes site for all the positive reviews

Wastebinpirate (12 years ago) Reply

I never knew Quiet Earth had so many readers. Why does everyone only comment when review ratings are either really low or really high?

I'm reminded of the Simpsons joke; "why would they come to our concert just to boo us?"

Haven't seen the movie yet, but I probably still will at some point.

Nick (12 years ago) Reply

I just got back from this and it was just awful. Finally, a review that nails it on the head. The characters were sketches at best so you don't care at all; every scare is shot and telegraphed the exact same way (long shot - a crazy at the edge of the frame, close up - jump scare). But its worst crime is just how interminable the whole thing feels. When a horror film is stupid but scary you ride with it. When a horror film like this is stupid and dull, you can't help but pick apart everything that's wrong with it while your watching and that's a painful experience. George exec-produced this mess so he's off laughing somewhere as I type.

Mick (12 years ago) Reply

Movie wasn't so bad. Predictable - yes. But I would give it 5 out of 10 because I've seen worst. You may like this review or not but behave like a civilized people for god sake and stop booing author with f-words.

Anonymous (12 years ago) Reply

I follow this site and tend to agree with most of your reviews. Having said that, the movie was good, better than expected. People please, not everything can be 28DL, relax and try to enjoy the movies.

Anonymous (12 years ago) Reply

I thought the remake of the Crazies was good but the original had a better story even though it was obviously made w/ a far smaller budget. The original also portrayed the military in both good and bad light. It also dealt w/ some uncomfortable topics like incest. Some people today won't be able to get past the 1970s B movie feel of the original but I think the story is not only interesting but relevant. If a weaponized virus was accidentally released in your community what would you do? How would the local, state & Fed. govts act to contain spreading a deadly virus?

projectcyclops (12 years ago) Reply

Ach, well. I kind of knew it would be pretty crap compared to the original (which I rewatched last week) but all the same I'll still rent it some time. Shame - I like Oliphant and Mitchell as actors (and just wanna see the Lowery cameo really).

Of all the films to remake, a rather obscure Romero pic from the '70s is an odd choice, kinda glad you rate it so long tbh.

NihLyle (12 years ago) Reply

I think all the neg reviews are from an outdated horror fans view. The movie was way better then the original, in direction and story. Those opposed are just romanticizing the past. Thos old movie had a seed that was poorly directed, poorly executed and lacking pathos.

bad dog (12 years ago) Reply

*mild spoiler alert *

Just saw it. Yes, it was predictable--Nick nails it that you get the crazy at the edge of the frame, then close up for a jump scare. The crazies seemed to have a sixth sense for where you were hiding, which was annoying. We didn't get to see the Army point of view, and the Army was weird, the way they ran away at the first sign of resistance. But overall it was an enjoyable movie. If you forgot it was a remake and dropped the comparison it was really enjoyable.

Mr Reynolds (12 years ago) Reply

Ok! I didn't want to see the original, just so I wouldn't play the (comparison game). Having said that. I think The Crazies was really well made (for a theatrical commercial release anyway). I mean come on. Not since 28DL & The Dawn remake has a Zombie/virus movie been done right. Big nods to Pontypool & Mutants! Anyway! There was no bad acting in this movie, no out of place scenes, it scared me a few times, it was intense from the beginning until the end and if your a true horror fan. You better not miss this one. Sure it was a little predictable and i'm true just to only set it up for a possible sequel. So, whoever didn't like it or didn't give The Crazies it's props. Then, I guess you'd be better off watching Zone of the Dead or some other BS Zombie movie with a bad script, no scares and camera shaking tactics to make a terribly bad movie into a good movie. DON"T BE FOOLED. YOU WILL BE CRAZY, NOT TO SEE THE CRAZIES!

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