World War Z (PG-13)
11/03/14 20:54 Filed in: 2013
Starring: Brad Pitt
June 2013
This review was originally tweeted in Real-time from the back row of a movie theater and appears @BackRoweReviews. Though efforts were made to tease rather than ruin this movie’s memorable lines and moments, some spoilers may exist in the following evaluation. The original tweets appear in black, while follow-up comments appear in red. For concerns over objectionable content, please first refer to one of the many parental movie guide websites. All ratings are based on a four star system. Happy reading!
Hopefully the movie will be more watchable than the book is readable.
Written by Max Brooks, the book is an oral history of the outbreak and subsequent war on zombies. The “narrative” consists of one character interviewing eyewitnesses to zombie activities in various regions around the globe. I struggled to get through the first fifty pages at which point I promptly shelved the book, where it now sits nestled under a blanket of dust. Maybe since I killed and buried the book it will rise up some day in a mutated form and exact its revenge upon me. Actually, that would be more exciting than the book itself.
Drafting behind a trash truck...smart move.
12 seconds to zombie time.
A very heads-up move by Pitt’s character…amazing presence of mind amid the tumult.
The last place I’d want to be stuck in a zombie apocalypse...Newark.
“Movement is life.”
As opposed to staying in one place when you’re lost.
Roof-top rescue is heart-pounding.
…but was savagely spoiled in the trailer.
Speech on the plane about “serial killer” is utterly fascinating.
One of my favorite scenes in the film. Great dialog and a way of looking at the world that really broadsided me.
You’ve heard not to run with scissors. Same is true for a gun.
A memorable cameo by David Morse.
Clearly his character’s never heard of 1-800-DENTIST.
In the history of poorly timed phone calls...
This is a spoiler, but if you’ve seen the movie you know exactly when this occurs.
The tenth man of Jerusalem. Yep, we’re globe-trotting.
Zombie ladder is absolutely frightening.
You thought snakes on a plane were dangerous, how about the undead?
B wing...into the lion’s den.
Teeth chattering is a bit much.
Final analysis: An effective blend of Contagion and I Am Legend.
Good action and a fairly airtight plot. Rating: 3 out of 4 stars. Worth seeing if you can abide zombies.
Otherwise, there’s bound to be lighter fare in an adjoining theater.
This film will probably disappoint audience members expecting all-out action…this is a thinking person’s zombie film. The insult to injury here is that most of the movie’s action sequences are teased in the trailer, so the movie can seem familiar even while watching it for the first time (curse you movie trailers!). However, WWZ is a pleasant surprise because the plot is smart and taut and the performances are well-suited to the alternating exposition/action story line. Although classifying WWZ as a high art zombie film would be a misnomer, it will go down as a serious and scientifically feasible outbreak movie.
Check out my Twitter run for #LearnFromMyMistake to read an amusing story of what happened to me at the theater the night I watched this movie.