And Brad Pitt acquits himself quite admirably as an action star, something he has not done much of during his movie career. We will forgive his James Bond dud, Quantum of Solace (2008). Highlights include Monster’s Ball (2001), Finding Neverland (2004), Stranger than Fiction (2006) and The Kite Runner (2007). colleague (Fana Mokoena), crisscrosses the globe from South Korea to Jerusalem to rural England trying to solve the zombie plague and save humanity, the movie essentially boils down to a series of harrowing escapes, capped by a wonderfully rendered, tension-filled sequence at a World Health Organization laboratory in Cardiff, Wales.ĭespite its production troubles, World War Z is another winner for Forster, whose filmography is as commendable as it is diverse. As Gerry, pressed into service by a former U.N. There is scant character development, and let’s just say some extremely convenient things happen to drive certain plot points forward. World War Z is not without some glaring problems. It is a splendid cinematic image, symbolizing mankind at the precipice of extinction. Fearing he is infected, he rushes to the edge of a building, waiting to throw himself off at the slightest sign of infection. In a poignant, early moment, Gerry gets a zombie’s saliva in his mouth during a particularly close encounter. They then take refuge for the night in a Newark apartment building. The family joins looters at a supermarket to get medicine. The Lanes escape Philly, but the older daughter, Rachel, is suffering from an asthma attack. The manic early sequences-the panic, the immediate societal breakdown, the wild attempts at survival-are riveting. More in the mode of movies like Outbreak (1995) and Contagion (2011)-or Stephen King’s novel The Stand-the film is first and foremost a plague story, and a highly engaging one at that. But I really wouldn’t put World War Z in that category. The zombies of World War Z are reminiscent of the rage-infected variety in Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later, the 2002 British horror movie largely credited with reinvigorating the zombie sub-genre. Gerry, a former United Nations aid worker who has worked in some of the most disease-ravished areas of the world, sees someone get bitten, and instinctively times how quickly the victim becomes infected. Soon a commotion erupts, giving way to chaos as pedestrians run in terror, cars careen out of control and people start being attacked by a pack of fast-moving zombies with bad facial tics and an urgent need to bite the still-living. News of a worldwide rabies outbreak plays on the radio. In the opening scene, we find Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt) stuck in Philadelphia gridlock with his wife, Karin (Mireille Enos), and two daughters, Rachel (Abigail Hargrove) and Constance (Sterling Jerins). While somewhat flawed, World War Z is a deeply engrossing, exciting apocalyptic thriller about a fast-moving, worldwide pandemic turning everybody into zombies. The toxic press surrounding the movie seemed to be inching toward Ishtar-ian, Waterworld levels. With multiple reshoots and postponed releases, the production starring Brad Pitt and directed by Marc Forster was plagued by something worse than zombies-bad buzz. My streak of positive reviews certainly seemed in jeopardy heading into World War Z, an adaptation of the popular 2006 horror novel by Max Brooks. I don’t know about you, but I’m feelin’ 22 … (That was me singing.) The next thing you know I’ll be headed off to Wal-Mart to buy the new Taylor Swift CD. Maybe I am simply becoming an optimistic, positive person with an undiscerning palate for pop culture, just another mindless consumer doing my best for capitalism. Instead of enduring the season like in previous years, I seem to be enjoying all these mammoth attempts at blockbusterdom, from Ironman 3 to Man of Steel, Star Trek to World War Z. I wonder if real movie critics ever suffer from what I am dealing with right now-a disturbing Summer of Love at the multiplex. How old am I? Fourteen? This is getting ridiculous. Oh hello! It’s me again with another glowing review of an over-stuffed, mega-budget, CGI-laden popcorn flick. The possibilities would be endless if the movie wasn’t so relentlessly entertaining. I wish it was boring, so I could title the review, World War Zzzzzzz … Or maybe if it really sucked, I could call it, World War Z: The Z is for buZz kill.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |