Movie Review - World War Z

 World War Z  $$$    

 

PG-13

116 Minutes

Starring: Brad Pitt, Daniella Kertesz, and Fana Mokoena.

Director: Marc Forster.

 

            I’m not a zombie fan. I think the genre is silly. It ranks at the very bottom of things that go bump in the dark. As much as the horror writers tweak the concept it still doesn’t any sense. Be that as it may, the biggest reason I don’t see movies in this category is because they are usually rated R and extremely gross.            

            World War Z is rated PG-13 and avoids the gruesome and, in my mind, unnecessary scenes of people chomping that is a normal part of this kind of film. The story is a cross between Dawn of the Dead and Outbreak. For what it’s worth, this is my all-time favorite zombie movie.

            The film opens with an average day in the life of the Lane family. Gerry (Brad Pitt) makes everyone pancakes and then they climb into their car and head off to do what they normally do. Except that traffic grinds to a halt and they soon find themselves in the middle of a zombie assault. Once bitten a person thrashes around on the ground for about twelve seconds and then boom—a new recruit to the undead movement is ready for action.

            Gerry is contacted by his former boss, Thierry Umutoni (Fana Mokoena), who wants to bring him in to investigate the cause of the zombie apocalypse. He eventually agrees and is teamed up with pathologist specialist Andrew Fassbach (Elyes Gabel) and start globe-trotting in search for a solution that will save the human race.

            The supporting cast did a good job with their roles. I found Brad Pitt fairly toned-down emotionally and while that didn’t detract from the story it certainly didn’t propel it to the next level. There were plenty of tense scenes with zombies hot on the heels of the heroes to put you on the edge of your seat. But what makes the movie work is the quest to find out what happened and in doing so to see if anything can be done to save the human race. A bit at a time the mystery is unraveled and that is what kept me keenly interested in the movie.

            On the negative side, there are the numerous story flaws that are part and parcel of almost all zombie tales. The largest of these is explanation of how the zombie threat spread so quickly throughout the world. Let me just say that if it only takes a few minutes to be infected and turn against humanity—then airlines do not make an effective delivery method.
            If zombie films are a regular part of your entertainment diet you might find this a little tame for your taste. On the other hand it is a good choice for those who may have liked horror films earlier in their life and since given them up due to the gore and graphic violence they normally contain. I give World War Z a solid 3 Movie Bucks. See it on the big screen so you can fully enjoy every jumping in your seat moment, but don’t pay full price for the experience. 

 

                        Randy’s Rating System 

$$$$   = Full Price    See this movie right away and pay full price, it’s worth it.

$$$     = Matinee      Catch this as a matinee or other discounted showing.

$$        = Discount     Wait until this movie reaches a discount theater near you.

$          = Rental         Wait until this movie reaches your local video rental outlet.

0          = No Sale       Don’t see this movie at any price.