This movie might as well be entitled "Stupid People Doing Stupid, Frustrating Things". However, it has the rating it does because despite all the stupidity involved, it's still entertaining and engaging.
To start off with, I was skeptical to hear they were making the book World War Z into a movie, especially since there was an emphasis on Brad Pitt headlining it. World War Z is a collection of different people, events, documents chronicling the worldwide zombie outbreak. The movie bears little resemblance to the book...Therefore, I can't judge the movie on how well it adapts the book because it doesn't (It doesn't even have the same type of zombies). What I can do is judge it as a movie and as a zombie flick.
As I mentioned before, there's no amount to stupidity in this movie. I wanted to throw up my hands in disgust/slap characters upside the head a dozen different times. It might as well be a teenage slasher flick. Various characters keep talking about how impressive Brad Pitt's character is, and all that he's done, but their words are weaker than his actions. He's as dumb as everyone else. He has zero credibility as the respected professional he is. Through half the movie, he runs around with a hipster scarf. Why? Because he wants to look cool for the zombies? I mean, does this scarf serve a useful purpose?
To start off with, I was skeptical to hear they were making the book World War Z into a movie, especially since there was an emphasis on Brad Pitt headlining it. World War Z is a collection of different people, events, documents chronicling the worldwide zombie outbreak. The movie bears little resemblance to the book...Therefore, I can't judge the movie on how well it adapts the book because it doesn't (It doesn't even have the same type of zombies). What I can do is judge it as a movie and as a zombie flick.
As I mentioned before, there's no amount to stupidity in this movie. I wanted to throw up my hands in disgust/slap characters upside the head a dozen different times. It might as well be a teenage slasher flick. Various characters keep talking about how impressive Brad Pitt's character is, and all that he's done, but their words are weaker than his actions. He's as dumb as everyone else. He has zero credibility as the respected professional he is. Through half the movie, he runs around with a hipster scarf. Why? Because he wants to look cool for the zombies? I mean, does this scarf serve a useful purpose?
I'm so fly.
Plot holes run amok as much as zombies do. Maybe I've been too hardened by Walking Dead, but I can not see ANY situation where a plane full of panicked passengers about to take-off from a volatile, zombie-infested city would stop and let down a ladder to Brad Pitt simply because he's waving a gun. No way. No way in hell. They would fly off and not even feel any remorse.
This is only one example of several ludicrous situations.
This is only one example of several ludicrous situations.
Look, this zombie can levitate too.
As a zombie movie, World War Z barely registers. For some reason, they've changed the traditional, shambling zombie of the book into an amped-up lightning-change 28 Days Later zombie version. This makes no sense, other than to add a little excitement to the movie. The zombies just run around and bite people. For no reason. They don't eat people. They don't appear to be hungry. They just like to bite, which doesn't make much sense to me. Zombie culture is great because it's a reflection on society -- Shaun of the Dead does a pitch-perfect opening that shows a lifeless public that shambles through its daily routines and monotony like the undead. George Romero's Dawn of the Dead is a criticism of consumer culture as exemplified by zombies shuffling through the mall and clothing racks. World War Z serves no purpose except to cash into the zombie fascination gripping the present public.
Despite all this, the fast pace of the movie kept me entertained. It's at least a fresh take on the traditional zombie post-apocalyptic movie and involved a little more of how different parts of the world would act. And again, at least in this movie, not all the military men are idiots.
Apparently, this movie was in a tug-a-war contest between Brad Pitt's company and one headed by Leonardo DiCaprio. I'm curious as to how the latter would have interpreted the movie/book, had he won out. The world will never know.
Despite all this, the fast pace of the movie kept me entertained. It's at least a fresh take on the traditional zombie post-apocalyptic movie and involved a little more of how different parts of the world would act. And again, at least in this movie, not all the military men are idiots.
Apparently, this movie was in a tug-a-war contest between Brad Pitt's company and one headed by Leonardo DiCaprio. I'm curious as to how the latter would have interpreted the movie/book, had he won out. The world will never know.
If you're paying attention during the opening credits, you'll also see that Matthew Bellamy of Muse did the music for this movie. While I was quite excited to see this, I was disappointed to find that this merely meant they took a hook from a Muse song and used it over and over and over again. The first time was intriguing and exciting. The second and third time is a bit puzzling because it's unclear why they would use the same piece of music again. And by the fourth and fifth time, it's just annoying. Thank you, World War Z for rendering a Muse song to boredom.
PS. If you keep your eyes peeled, you can see Matthew Fox for a few seconds. Apparently he had a bigger role in the movie originally, but all of his scenes were cut. Boo.
PS. If you keep your eyes peeled, you can see Matthew Fox for a few seconds. Apparently he had a bigger role in the movie originally, but all of his scenes were cut. Boo.