World
War Z
A
review
June
22, 2013
Viewed June
22, 2013
****
out of *****
I pulled into Nazareth, was
feeling 'bout half past dead
I just need some place where I can lay my head
Hey, mister, can you tell me, where a man might find a bed?
He just grinned and shook my hand, "No" was all he said.
I just need some place where I can lay my head
Hey, mister, can you tell me, where a man might find a bed?
He just grinned and shook my hand, "No" was all he said.
The Band
There is
nowhere to hide that is safe. The
world you woke up to this morning is gone.
What is left in its place is a nightmare. The end of civilization has come, not with
bombs, or guns, or disasters, just people destroying each other in a mindless
frenzy. This is the end, unless you can
stop it.
The
advance word six months ago nearly pronounced this thrill ride of a movie dead
on arrival if you will pardon the pun. World War Z, based on the very popular
novel by Max Brooks of the same name, survived its bad press and rumored outrageous
budget and reshot ending to survive and arrive in theatres with a loud
triumph. This is certainly a film that
merits attention whether the current zombie obsession is one’s cup of tea or
not. It certainly is not mine, however I
was riveted for nearly all of the much too short running time for this
shocker.
In fact,
its too hasty conclusion and rushed characterizations are really all that is
wrong with the film, and even those can be forgiven partly. What is on screen is a non-stop and
sometimes out of breath race against time to save the world. We find out pretty early on that most of the
world is spinning mildly to the brink of extinction or at least of the
extinction of the human kind that is not obsessed and running wildly after any
life.
All that
stands between this destruction may be a former UN investigator, who along with
his family is saved in one of the many narrow escapes from the zombie hoards,
only to be ordered to investigate and try to locate the source of the
epidemic.
The
screenplay by Matthew Carnahan, Drew Goodard, and Damon Lindelof condenses the
novel events into a short and direct film with little room to ponder the darker
questions the book probes. The
director, Marc Forster continues to build upon an impressive body of work with
tense and absorbing sequences. The
result is a film that is likely to have one looking over their shoulder or shielding
their eyes during its two most impressive set pieces.
Brad Pitt
in a role that is a change of pace for the actor underplays in the role of
Gerry Lane. This decision serves the
film well as an overly bravado laden performer would have made the movie
silly. Unfortunately Pitt has to carry
the film on his shoulders as the large cast barely registers save a noteworthy
turn by Daniella Kertesz as an Israeli soldier that gives the story a lift
midway through.
A longer
film may have existed prior to the reshoots, and it would have been interesting
to see what a more character driven piece would have looked like, but this is a
worthy addition to the world- ending films.
Surprisingly and maybe thankfully the film is mostly free of using gore
and blood to add to the terror and relies mostly on suspense. It is the fear of what is behind the corner
that is most effective, and makes World
War Z worth a night at the movies.
It may just leave you wanting to leave the lights on just a little
longer, and be very quiet and still.
Tommy Key
Rated PG-13(intense frightening zombie sequences,
violence, disturbing images, language)
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