Huge production quality is the real draw to this big-budget blockbuster from 2013. And the action kicks off right out of the gate. The breakneck pace is maintained dramatically right up to that point where the initial WTF moment turns to a “We need a plan,” moment, a good twenty minutes in. Then, a little story unfolding, and a bit of character development join the continuing sense of urgency.
Max Brooks’ book, ‘World War Z,’ was essentially a collection of not-necessarily-related stories from around the world, set during the zombie apocalypse. The movie ‘adaptation,’ more or less simply strung a few of these stories together, tied up with a quest-style plot to find the virus’ origin, and perhaps a cure. Our hero, Brad Pitt’s Gerald Lane, is running an errand for the U.N. by hopping from one sprawling and exotic setting to another, watching the tide turn in the favor of the dead in each locale. South Korea, Israel, Wales: Each step his investigation reveals another piece to the puzzle by revealing more of the zombies weaknesses and origins.
And right there is one of the major differences I found in World War Z as opposed to many other zombie films, it played out more like a mystery. I mean, Oh sure! There was plenty of horror, (and “Action/Horror," at that,) as well as survival, and guns, and military. Oh, and falling! Lots of falling. Apparently, zombies have no concept of ledges and do not even slow down when coming near them! Zombies were raining from the skies everywhere from Newark to Jerusalem! Ah, but I digress.
Yes. All of those good action/horror elements exist here, and in high numbers, but a linear storyline weaves its way through all of those and creates an almost “whodunnit” feel.
The movie also introduced a new concept in zombie physiology in their search for healthy living hosts for the virus, and not just as eating machines. A small point, but pivotal to the total story.
And, unlike so many ‘living dead’ films that end with an inevitable gloomy fade out on a dying world, World War Z delivers some small degree of closure in an optimistic final act that had to earn it some points for creativity.
So, what do we get from a $190,000,000.00 budget?
(BTW, that is 30,000 times the budget of the same year’s ‘The Battery!’)
Well, we get an A-List action star lead, we get beautiful exotic sets, some decent SPFX and most of all, we get the promise* of a franchise.
All of this translates to a big ol’ 3.375 on the Zombie Movie Rubric and a good pile of fun, dropping from ledges all over the world!
Them YouTubes provides a really cool movie trailer here that really imparts the overwhelming and crushingly desperate mood. WORLD WAR Z
*Sadly, as of right now, WWZ 2 production has been cancelled. But if demand is high enough, who knows what the future will bring?
No comments:
Post a Comment