From the jump, World War Z has been plagued with problems. From ire among fans of the book that the film takes the title, but little else from, to the well-publicized production and budget woes, to last minute reshoots, the writing on the wall indicated that this would be a disaster. Yet somehow, in spite of a title that is still very divisive, a director who is not quite known for his action directing abilities, and a "family-friendly" PG-13 rating, World War Z is actually a pretty solid film and juggernaut at the box office. I'm sure we'll see the sequel World War Double-Z in 2016.
With a production budget approaching $200 million, it's clear where the PG-13 rating came from. However, in a continent-hoping, global apocalyptic setting such as this, that massive budget has given us ideas and images that could only be storyboarded in any other zombie tale. While it is implied that the initial outbreak is in full swing at the start of the film, it begins with Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt) and his family going through their typical morning routine until a traffic jam and hoard of zombies interrupt things. The family flees and Gerry is called back by his former boss at the U.N. to help figure out how to stop the outbreak. Gerry is reluctant but is given no choice as his cooperation means safe harbor for this family.
What follows is a series of excursions as Gerry heads to South Korea, Israel, and the UK for answers to the outbreak. There are some quiet moments of talking and exposition followed by zombie carnage in all of these segments. The process begins to feel rote eventually but a pretty exciting 'zombie-on-a-plane' sequence breaks it up a little. Even still, while the segments (not really acts even) feel recycled, the pace is very brisk and doesn't allow much time of contemplation before the next batch of zombies come running.
While his resume is a bit spotty, Marc Forster does an admirable job with the film even if he and his DP rely too much on the chaotic, shaky-cam which defeats the point of an epic disaster movie. Even still, there are plenty of great shots of chaos, zombie swarms, and carnage to satiate the appetite of a horror fan as well as some tense scenes and jump scares that are almost necessary.
While its legacy will probably consist of the backstage issues, World War Z surprisingly does not portray a movie ruined by studios, or rewrites, or any of the consistent Hollywood rationale. It may not be a staple in the zombie franchise, but it has its moments and keeps the action coming all the same.
Comments
Post a Comment