Friday, July 5, 2013

World War Z: A Zombie Film With Less Guts and More Scale That Everyone Is "Climbing Over Walls" To See!


"Mother Nature is a serial killer ..." - Andrew Fassbach

The modern zombie story has a basic formula: outbreak, fight or flight, and you either find a cure or do your best to outlive the ghouls. There's no going around this. Not even Max Brooks, best selling writer and current authority on all things undead (to which this film is based on his work), cannot stray from this established algorithm of unspeakable horrors. What the characters do from point A to Z, how the world building of the zombie is set up, and the execution is what makes all the difference. If you want the same emotional experience expected with the latest episode of The Walking Dead, this isn't your movie. However, there's so much right in all this wrong that disaster and zombie aficionados are ill advised to turn their nose up at it. With hard-to-like side characters and breakneck / worst case scenarios from the notes of an average Roland Emmerich film, World War Z is a mostly disjointed disaster flick that strays heavily from its great source material, but like its source, it's a useful instruction guide for surviving a zombified world.

Gerry Lane was on his way out of Philadelphia with his family when people started to run. From out of nowhere and without warning, people are tearing each other apart. An ex-UN operative, Gerry's survivor mode kicks in, and he'll do anything to save his family-even if it means going on a global hunt for a cure to ensure his family's spot on an armed aircraft carrier. Cold leads turn hot at every turn, as do the infected, in this bio-hazard race to prevent humanity's extinction. To survive and return to his family, Gerry must rely on his improvisational skills or die trying.

What slowed this film for me, surprisingly enough, was the family element. I've been on the lookout for zombie mediums that have an enjoyable, functional, family dynamic. World War Z tried and died in this attempt. I didn't mind that Gerry was given a family, but how the film portrayed them - whiny and needy - made me wonder how on earth any of them managed to survive two cities, especially when the infected move three times faster than average humans. Once Gerry got off the boat, the film really picked up. Note to the wise: when your spouse is in the field with zombies everywhere, don't call them. Let them call you.

You'll thank me later.

Another factor that should be pointed out, for as gruesome a topic as zombies are, it felt as if the filmmakers went out of their way to lessen the violence to secure a PG-13 rating. Not that I'm complaining. I'm actually a big fan of implied violence, and a non-R rating can supply the means to reach out to a broader audience who may not have access to it, but the constant panning away from gore shots grew monotonous after a while. That, and the zombies themselves; they can't be any more different than from the novel, going against the very rules that Max Brooks invented.

While the story is a coin flip, the application is what redeemed this film. If you've read The Zombie Survival Guide (which I did in one sitting), subtle nuances of Max Brooks's survival techniques are scattered throughout: effective improvised weapons, amputee treatment, and most importantly: location, location, and location. Brad Pitt executed his role with a cool, level-headed approach, easily making his character one worth caring about, by far the most solid performance. Including recent phenomena, such as news clips of beached dolphins, the "Florida Zombie," and random news personalities presented a fitting touch that tied real events to the fictional buildup.

World War Z may not rise to the challenge of taking zombies to the next level, but it does offer a rather unique alternative to the "cure" element of the modern zombie formula, with some fairly believable science behind it. Having said that, this film serves to solidify the shift that zombies are taking from the realm of unexplainable horror to the acolytes of plausible science fiction, and if you recall the famous saying, "science fiction is a precursor to science fact," the implications are both fascinating and terrifying. Not to imply that "real zombies" would act as they do here.

If you can fight, fight. Help each other. Be prepared for anything.

Cosmic Cruller Rating:
 
*     *     *

Have you been itching for a good zombie flick lately? What's your favorite telling of the undead? You've heard The Zombie Song?

I'm David, and don't forget to fill your bathtub with water!

20 comments:

  1. As an action film with heavy drama, it's all right. Just don't go expecting a zombie flck. I admit I'm old school when it comes to zombie movies - I want the gore.

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  2. Amazing review. Though I feel kinda bad for the gore fans because of the lack there-of, I loved it for the lack of it. A simple yet solid story that I surprisingly enjoyed. And more sci-fi than horror...so true! But dude, the wife and the phone...I would never! Ha.

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  3. I haven't seen this one. Hubby went the other day and I passed--I knew it would probably freak me out. Zombie movies are not my thing--books, totally fine, but movies give me nightmares. Yeah, I'm a major pansy in the zombie department :) I've heard mixed things about this film, though, and I'm glad it was at least decent!

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  4. I haven't seen it, but during our heat wave an afternoon movie might just be in order. Thanks for the tip about zombies and phone calls. I'm making note of it. And thanks for the review.

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  5. It felt... odd. Maybe it was the lack of zombie gore. I haven't read the book, although from its description it doesn't sound very exciting.

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  6. I am not fan of zombies but it was REALLY pleasant and interesting to read your review. I think I can take zombies from you. :D

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  7. I'm not big into horror or gore movie. And by not big I mean I completely avoid them. This might be the only Zombie movie I would ever see.

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  8. This is better than the last review I saw of this movie, which said it was primarily a Brad Pitt showcase and a big disappointment compared to the book. (Which I haven't read. Should I?)

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  9. Good review. I think it's giving me a much better idea of what the movie is like.

    I really loved World War Z the book, but I'm not interested in seeing the movie, especially if the zombies aren't like they were there. For me, the draw was how realistic it seamed.

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  10. I most certainly enjoyed the movie both times I went to see it. Though, I don't wish for a zombie virus break out in our world today. For sure! Anyway, great review. :)

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  11. Well, maybe it will give someone else ideas for a better movie that combines humanity, and a lack of absolute violence.

    ......dhole

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  12. Hmm... Zombies just aren't my thing. I tried reading a zombie novel and watching the Walking Dead, and neither was appealing.

    Allison (Geek Banter)

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  13. I cannot decide if I want to see this or not. I'm not a huge gore person so that's good. But gore and zombies seem to go hand in hand, so I'm not sure...

    I hope you had a great holiday!

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  14. I've decided not to watch this one. I'm not a big zombie fan. Honestly, Casper the Friendly Ghost's uncles scare me quite a bit. Yeah, having the whiny family probably didn't help.

    Good review of it!

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  15. I didn't see it in the theater but I'll probably watch it on demand.

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  16. I really loved Zombieland.

    I think I'll catch this one on cable.

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  17. It's strange trying to imagine a zombie movie with PG-13 violence. I always associate gore with zombie flicks. I think the movie did ok, but I think I'll wait for the DVD.

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  18. After running from zombies and watching the Walking Dead religiously, I'm now getting bored of the trend (gasp!). I heard very mixed reviews for this movie. Interesting that they tried to tone down the violence. How can a zombie flick possibly try to be PG-13? It's in the same vein as wondering how the heck 50 Shades will try to be R rated.

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  19. It's not a movie for investing much emotion, but as big budget eye candy goes, it delivers.
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  20. I ended up enjoying the movie, even with Damon Lindelof's rewritten third act. The ending on a quiet, but hopeful note was a better conclusion than the rumored Battle of Moscow. The idea of using a temporary, but curable disease as camouflage was a unique plot point. Can't wait for the sequel, even if it has very little to do with Max Brooks' original books.

    Marlene
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