World War Z Review
Zombies really have been such a big deal in pop culture for many years, at times the market does feel a little saturated. It is hard to pick and chose from what's on offer, with so many things being very much alike. Fans do pay attention when the sub-genre offers something a little different, with a unique look on this craze. Thankfully, World War Z does give us a film that feels fresh, and its ideas and manner of execution feel different. This is an engrossing story of a global outbreak and then the subsequent mission to find a cure.
Gerry (Brad Pitt) is a former employee of the U.N. He, his wife Karin (Mireille Enos) and daughters Constance (Sterling Jerins) and Rachel (Abigail Hargrove) are going about their daily business when all hell breaks loose. At first the are clueless as to what's going on. The city seems to have gone crazy and it isn't long before we discover there has been some kind of fast spreading outbreak. The family struggle to find somewhere to keep safe amidst what appears to be thousands of rampaging maniacs, and as they travel the U.N. contacts Gerry and asks him to help find the cause, therefore helping its scientists develop a vaccine. Gerry only agrees so that he can keep his family out of harms way.
The film feels realistic in specific ways. Part of the fear here is that an audience can picture this happening. The outbreak spreads fast, and is highly contagious. Anyone that gets infected can move around and pass on it quickly. There is a sense of scale to the events that unfold, as the virus is one that spreads globally. No one is safe. Wisely, the film chooses to start as the virus is only starting to spread. It shows how the general public and governments deal with the impending doom.
Zombies have become so popular because they tap into humanity's deepest fears, and outbreaks are one of the scariest fears that we could ever face in reality. Obviously, No one wants to be a Zombie, to perish, be mindless, have no self control, lose everything that they love and cherish. At its most raw, the Zombie itself represents these fears. Through our main character these fears are quite present within him. The safety of his family is constantly at the back of his mind.
There are some great moments of intensity; white knuckle moments that are edge-of-your-seat suspenseful. The first half of the film is paced extremely well; every scene there has a meaning and a purpose. The bigger scenes flow together really smoothly. While the film isn't purely a horror-show, it does mix together a number of genres. There's also action, suspense and even drama. Blending these elements together felt natural here, with such a grand story being told, not to mention that it was made with a PG-13 rating in mind, keeping it strictly as one thing would not have worked. There is a mass appeal to all sorts of audiences, and while there is barely a lick of gore (seriously, there are episodes of Charmed that are gorier than this film), it never felt necessary because the situation itself was so frightening.
World War Z does have a few minor issues, though for the most part, they didn't have a huge impact on the overall appeal of the film. Gerry has no real sense of character, other than he is a family man, he might have had a difficult experience with his work with the U.N. and he's very qualified in the job he did and there is a lot of trust in him with those he worked under. But who is he? A little more development would have worked, the connection with him does not hit right away and it should have. His mission in the film, and his past experience is also extremely vague, yet people with no information are willing to sacrifice their lives to see he completes his mission. The third act of the film felt a little rushed, things happen a little too quickly and it doesn't feel in the same vein as the rest of the film, which is a shame because the rest of it is so good, and it just comes off as though the filmmakers didn't know where to go with it once it reached a certain point.
Brad Pitt is front and center in this film, and it's rare that there are moments spent without him. His performance as Gerry is layered; he does show different sides to him, with the focus being on the family man side. This is the film's strongest aspect; both actor and director felt it was important and it is an element that an audience can find a connection with, even if it does take a while at first. Pitt is convincing, the danger of the situation can be felt through his eyes and his strength through his body language. The chemistry he shares with on screen wife Mireille Enos is solid. The connection between the two was there and when they were apart the longing was felt. There are a lot of familiar faces (David Morse, James Badge Dale, Matthew Fox) who show up in the film; each actor bringing something interesting to the table even if their role was brief.
Director Marc Foster has a very diverse filmography, capable of doing different genres on small and large scales. This is perhaps his biggest scale yet (bigger than Quantum Of Solace), proving that he was up to the task. The scenes of pure intensity were his best, getting the most out of the moment and actors. This is a big step in the right direction, with a film that is entertaining and extremely riveting. Zombies may be decaying corpses, but here they are a breath of fresh air.
☆☆☆☆
Posted by Marcey Papandrea - 1/7/2013
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