Review - World War Z

At The Theater - "World War Z"- I cannot comment on this film's merit as an adaptation of the best-selling novel, but this flick isn't so bad, overall. The most important thing to know going in is that it's glaringly evident that the numerous, much-publicized production issues, including a subsequent swelling budget (from $125 Million to $200 Million), made it worrisome to the powers-that-be at Paramount that a mega-budgeted, R-rated picture wouldn't recoup it's cost at the Box-Office. That concern resulted in a (noticeably) heavily-edited final product for theatrical release, with virtually all of the blood and gore (from what was originally conceived and produced as an R-rated film) having been digitally erased to achieve a coveted PG-13 (obviously, to grab added $ from a younger audience)... hell, I think they could have easily pushed the envelope substantially before they would have even come close to an R. A sequence in which Pitt's protagonist quickly severs a soldier's bitten hand to save her life is laughably devoid of any blood- there's not a drop to speak of and I can't even recall the obligatory (and necessary) cauterization. 

What remains of Director Marc Forster's (Quantum of Solace) film is a globe-hopping outbreak story that moves fairly briskly and is otherwise logistically sound. There's dabs of humor here and there and a passable amount of tension- a few firefights are well-staged and the disaster effects are solid (plane and chopper crashes), though there's precious little closeup footage to appreciate any practical makeup effects regarding the "Zombies". I didn't care too much for the thriving, CGI swarms of the infected- the FX work in this regard could have been better.  Funny in that I can't actually recall seeing any of the "Zombies" in WWZ actually eating on any of their victims- they just bite you to pass along the infection and move on looking to bite someone else...

I believe a slower-paced, stripped-down third act, in which Drew Goddard (Cabin In The Woods) was brought in to re-write, works the best.  The first two acts are marred by that annoyingly pesky shaky-cam, while the third-act abandons the gimmick and features the best usages of practical effects regarding the Undead. 


Brad Pitt's (Inglourious Basterds) solid as the former UN investigator turned family man, "Gerry Lane" - the narrative follows his character as he's separated from his wife and two daughters and sent off to investigate the origins of the outbreak.  I couldn't help but repeatedly wish that he would wash his greasy fuckin' hair, a stringy mop that really doesn't fit the character.  That aside, he does a convincing job displaying the necessary emotions and reactions in each given situation. 

Mireille Enos (Gangster Squad) portrays his wife and mother of his two children- the Actress is very good in an underwritten role.

James Badge Dale (who also has roles in 2013's Iron Man 3 and The Lone Ranger) is nearly unrecognizable under a scruffy beard and a ballcap as a US Army Ranger, while the great David Morse (The Rock) has a memorable, but fleeting scene as a toothless former spook held captive at a US base in a segment set in South Korea. 

Israeli Actress Daniella Kertesz is a talent new to me, though the "unconventional" cutie is very good in a rather quiet part as an Israeli soldier.  She's a believably tough little shit and will undoubtedly land more American roles.

South African Actor Fana Mokoena (Hotel Rwanda) makes a few appearances as the UN Deputy Secretary General.  Blink and you'll miss Matthew Fox (FOX's Party Of Five) as a para-jumper- I'm guessing he had the majority of his scenes cut.

Outside of Pitt's protagonist, there's precious little character development to speak of- perhaps yet another victim of run-time concerns.  The film clocks in at 116 minutes and that seems rather anemic considering it's massive scope and status as a Summer Blockbuster.  (Man Of Steel is listed as 143 minutes long, Star Trek Into Darkness was 132 minutes, while Iron Man 3 and Fast And Furious 6 both clock in at 130 minutes.)

Check it out only if you're desperate for a "zombie fix", though I'd recommend watching/re-watching 28 Days Later, instead. All things considered, WWZ is an OK but unessential entry in the Zombie genre that lacks the necessary shock value to propel it anywhere near the greats. I'm positive there will be an Unrated/Extended cut on DVD and Blu-Ray at some point within the next several months, I say skip this in theaters and wait for that eventual concession.

6.5 out of 10

 ***Of Note***

Audiences missed out on a more visceral film because of that aforementioned censoring, though World War Z's first weekend's Box Office take ($111 Worldwide) seems to indicate a strategic victory for Paramount.  Sadly, I've got a feeling that more production companies will be following this model as a result...