There is a certain expectations with zombie-pocalypse movies. We expect to see social order breaking down, ripping itself apart, just as we expect to see the undead ripping out the guts of all their hapless victims. World War Z looks to be the end-all-be-all zombie flick, with zombie outbreaks exploding all over the world. Regardless, I wasn't expecting much, given the turbulent production history behind this movie (resulting in the entire last act being re-filmed at the last minute) and the watered-down PG-13 rating.
If nothing else, this movie gets the "World War" part of it right, while giving some good attention to the "Z" part. The action hits early and fast, and hardly lets up until the last act. For the first two-thirds of the film, the characters are constantly on the run, having to face danger on all sides, with hoards of zombies pouring out at them. These are zombies that run, sprawl, and hurl themselves at everybody in a frenzy, which could only be topped by the spazoid zombies in 28 Days Later. At key points, they become a vast sea of bodies rolling over everything. As bizarre and intense as these images are, they are slammed into the audience's faces to hard that it becomes exhausting and jarring....
...until those last forty minutes, which were completely reshot and inserted into the film for what the producers felt would be a better ending. Frankly, I'm glad they did; as thrilling as the rest of the film is, I was finding it tiresome, especially in regards to the narrative. In the last act, the action slows down, the camera stops shaking, and the scenes become gripping more out of suspense rather than heavy-handed action. These last scenes are actually my favorite part of the movie, and I probably would have liked it a lot better if the film was made this way all the way through.
As it is, however, the film feels like a long string of scenes loosely tied together with a flimsy plot structure. It's a pretty contrived series of events; the hero predictably hops around the world simultaneously protecting his family and trying to find a zombie cure. There is no particularly good flow from one scene to the next; the guy just gets told where to go next, and then he's on his way. The film tries very hard to make the characters compelling, thanks to putting the guy's family into danger, but none of them are that well developed or even interesting. Things are made even more iffy with the occasional stupid moment (chief among them, the department store looting scene, the landing in Korea, and every moment where characters make noise to attract the zombies). There are a few smart moments though: who would have thought that taping a magazine to your arm could be an effective zombie deterrent?
Having never read the original book, I'm not sure how close of an adaptation this film is (I read that it isn't close at all). From what I've seen, the book touches upon some interesting thematic territory regarding politics and isolationism. The movie ports over some similar themes, thanks largely to its international locations and situations. As the zombies roll over Jerusalem, anti-isolationist themes emerge, suggesting that no nation is safe from war, no matter how secure the borders are.
The film uses some very herky-jerky camera moves most of the time, and it can get tiring very quickly. There are occasional moments of good photography though. Editing is good. Acting is okay from the cast, but never felt exceptional to me; same goes for the writing. This production uses okay-looking sets, props, and costumes; special effects are not bad. The film has a pretty decent music score.
World War Z is a decent thrill ride of a film, but little more. I felt it could have been better in many ways, but it'll satisfy most movie-goers looking for a quick and fairly safe thrill.
3.5/5 (Entertainment: Good | Story: Average | Film: Pretty Good)
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