Many were doubtful about the adaptation of Max Brooks popular zombie book World War Z onto the big screen. There were naturally those worried about the transfer of the novel to the big screen, especially after those initial trailers that left some people less than impressed. Then there was the film’s release date being pushed back from it’s original release date of December 2012 to June 2013, due to multiple re-shoots. This all led up to the last minute hiring of Damon Lindelof and Drew Goddard to rewrite the third act of the film which only caused more shooting. Understandable why many doubted the film. The fact that Brad Pitt helped produce the film and took the lead role kept my interest, but it was becoming hard to repeal and ignore all the forces working against the film.
Here were are in June and World War Z has finally been released. After attending the NYC Red Carpet Premiere, we were treated to a screening that was showing the 3D version of the film. While it may not be a classic zombie film, it’s a worthy addition to the genre and it’s one of the better blockbusters that you will see this summer.
The zombie apocalypse hits this world because of a rapid rabies outbreak. We follow Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt) and his family as they watch the chaos unfold around them while stuck in Philadelphia traffic. Gerry, his wife Karin (Mireille Enos) and two daughters Rachel (Abigail Hargrove) & Constance (Sterling Herins) are suddenly forced to adapt and do whats necessary to survive. Gerry is a former employee of the United Nations, and is forced to help them figure out a solution and answer for what is happening in order to keep his family, and the rest of humanity safe.
The movie wastes no time throwing you into the mix of the zombie outbreak and the sequence in Philadelphia is tense and thrilling. These are not the zombies you see in The Walking Dead. These are terrifyingly fast zombies that are similar to those in in Zach Snyder’s remake of Dawn Of The Dead. The scenes with the zombies are well executed, tense, and thrilling. In a cool scene we see Gerry watch how long it takes for a person to turn into one of these zombies, and it’s something that plays dividends later on.
The zombies are quick and generally scary. The CGI looks a lot better than they did on those initial trailers, which did them no justice. Unfortunately this is a summer blockbuster, and that of course means they’re out to make a buck. So World War Z is very much watered down to cater to its PG-13 rating which ultimately holds it back from reaching its true zombie potential. I’m not all about violence and blood, but when it comes to making a good effective zombie film, I think we can all agree that a shortage of blood and gore to some extent is somewhat disappointing. Scenes feel ruined when the camera pans away from scenes of Gerry’s multiple zombie kills. It’s near impossible to ignore the PG-13 nature of the film.
With that said, there are still a number of thrilling sequences. There’s a scene on an airplane that is wild to watch play out, as well as one in Jerusalem that will leave your heart pacing in rapid fire succession. One thing World War Z did very well was create tense sense out of silence. There are many scenes where things are deathly quiet, leaving you feeling utterly tense as you watch it all unfold. There’s a scene in the 3rd act that will have you on the edge of your seat, hanging on to the characters every move as they have to sneak by a packed room of zombies without being noticed. Stuff like that is what movie magic is all about and when World War Z get it right they really get it right. Credit director Marc Foster who finds an appropriate balance of tone and mood which evening things out effectively.
Where World War Z falters is in its characters. While Pitt does a great job in the lead as Gerry Lane, the rest of Gerry’s family are left almost as an after thought. Role players such as Thierry (Fana Mokoena), the Deputy Secretary-General of the U.N. who brings Gerry in, as well as U.S. Ranger Captain Speke (James Badge Dale) come into the picture but don’t offer too much other than to push the narrative forward. Matthew Fox has a blink and you’ll miss it appearance that makes you wonder how much got left on the cutting room floor. These characters aren’t extremely fleshed out or a major concern to the film. Gerry is the main focus of the film and not much of an effort is made to bring anyone else any depth at all, other than to be there.
World War Z did provide a fine entertaining zombie flick even with some problems. I was fine with the 3rd act of the film, a credit to the talents of Lindelof and Goddard who wrap things up in a way that is pretty satisfying, and leaves room for the eventual sequel. World War Z will keep you entertained in thrilling fashion with plenty of tense zombie scenes that are both fast paced and even quiet. It was a much better film than it probably had any right to be.
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