7.5
I had no problem voicing my concerns for World War Z after the first trailer came out. I read Max Brook’s novel[1] a few years ago and absolutely loved it. It’s a refreshing take on the genre and I highly recommend it.
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[1] Did you even know it was a novel first?
If you read the novel, than you would have been shocked by how absolutely little the film has in common with the book. Outside of there being a zombie apocalypse, you’d be hard pressed to find a lot of similarities between the two.
So, naturally, I was disappointed when I saw they weren’t being faithful to this great book. The CGI zombies looked ridiculous and straight out of I Am Legend. It just looked silly to me. A PG-13 rating certainly wasn’t helping its case.
I decided to see it anyways. And I’m glad I did, because I was 100% mistaken. It’s pretty effin’ cool.
World War Z is the perfect summer flick. Tons of action, tons of Brad Pitt, tons of CGI. It’s fun.
It’s not your typical zombie film either. It had a good sized budget and it’s reflected in the huge scale of the movie. There’s a good amount of globetrotting and a lotttttttt of CGI zombies. I thought that would bother me, but it turns out to be pretty entertaining. Plus, the final act plays homage to your typical zombie film, with real zombies! Okay, actors in prosthetics.
It is PG-13, so you’re not going to see people getting ripped apart like in your average zombie flick. In fact, in the grand scheme of things, the violence is pretty minimal. I certainly wouldn’t call it the best zombie movie ever, but it has to be the best zombie blockbuster ever.
Brad Pitt plays a fixer for the U.N. and that’s really all you know or even need to know. Pitt is front and center the entire movie[2] and he does a fine job. Although, I have to say, Brad Pitt: not a sexy runner. You’ll see what I mean.
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[2] Seriously. Find a scene he’s not in. Hell, he’s in most shots.
The movie isn’t without its flaws; there are innumerable logistical errors and I still think it would have been better if they followed Max Brooks’s original story[3]. But, you just have to sit back and enjoy it for what it is. I enjoyed it more it more than I did Man of Steel, for the record.
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[3] Do I sound bitter about that?
Also, they’ve apparently already greenlit a sequel. Maybe we’ll see a faithful adaptation of the book afterall!!!!
But in the meantime, go see it![4] What did you think? Did anyone read the book?
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[4] And then read the book, because it’s better. Okay, I’m done, I swear!
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