World War Z Review
I thought I would not do a review but having now seen the movie again and having it fresh in my mind I've chosen to give my opinion.
WWZ is based off the acclaimed novel by Max Brooks, though if you have read the book and are a fan you may be some what disappointed. The film takes some creative detours from the book in order to make a more coherent movie. The film follows UN investigator, Gerry (played by Brad Pitt) as he tries to help find where the infection started and how to kill it.
The film is directed by Marc Forester. I know people are not liking towards him due to his instalment in the Bond canon to be, shall I say, less than stellar. Quantum of Solace was the Bond film that disappointed fans and got most people to thinking Bond was gone for good. I, however, felt differently. My only complaint about that film was that it was too short and yes felt less like a Bond movie and more like some artsy action film. But to have a director like that direct a zombie film with Brad Pitt, something good is sure to come out of it. And now I give you World War Z.
What I loved about this movie was just how terrifying it could get. The opening scene alone was so tense filled. Brad and his family on stuck in traffic in Philadelphia when one single explosion rings chaos down the street.
The CGI use on the zombies is actually a plus, it gives the zombies an upgrade making things even more terrifying, who is a running infected and who isn't. You can't tell between the running zombies and the running humans. Some may consider this an annoyance, but its a huge plus. The opening act 1 is the first of some amazing zombie action.
We are then taken from land to sea as we see the military is trying its best to salvage the situation. Gerry leaves his family on one of the military ships as he goes on his search for the origins of the virus. There are not a lot of big names in the film but the few there are, Mireille Enos (The Killing), Matthew Fox (Alex Cross, Lost) and David Morse (16 Blocks, Disturbia). Enos plays Gerry's wife, she is fabulous, even with the limited screen time. David plays an ex-CIA agent who informs Gerry of a place to look for answers, Jerusalem. Matthew Fox's role is as a pilot, he rescues Gerry and his family and is essentially the only one on the ship who really talks to them. I noticed him more in my second viewing.
From there Gerry boards a flight, not knowing what to do next. This is where his idea comes from as he realizes the infected need a healthy host to infect, if the host already has a virus in them, they would be left out of danger (aka camouflage) With that in mind Gerry gets the plane to head to Whales.
Now, the film is rated PG-13 and it does get annoyingly noticeable. I can except it. The knowledge that what we, the audience, are seeing is more gruesome then they are letting on. The scenario in which Gerry has to severe the hand of a friend in order for her to survive is toned down. You can see some blood but its rather held back.
The third act of the film is one where some complained. I however thought it was the best part. The small cast hired as the crew of the World Health Organization was excellent. I loved Ruth Negga she was a joy to watch. Also, Pierfrancesco Favino, Peter Capaldi and Moritz Bleibtreu (who is in fact from the movie Run, Lola, Run) they were all perfect in their roles. The atmosphere, while quite different from the first two parts of the film, its a cooler segment and more terrifying. I loved it.
I loved World War Z, and I do plan to eventually read the book. References I feel are made in the film, the opening segment reminiscent of the 2004 remake of Dawn of the dead, and the apartment building and the health complex brought back memories of the 28 days/weeks films.
I give WWZ a 4 out of 5, a classic B-movie zombie flick!
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