Movie Review: World War Z (2013)

UN Investigator, Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt) and his family, wife Karin Lane (Mireille Enos) and daughters Constance Lane (Sterling Jerins) and Rachel Lane (Abigail Hargrove) are out driving on the streets as zombies are let loose all around them. Being the lead protagonists, they (obviously) survive the odds.

In fact, this happens a number of times in the movie. By the time, Pitt's character escapes from a mid-air flight zombie attack, I knew the movie had lost me. The studio is aiming for a lucrative franchise and killing off Brad Pitt's character is an obvious no-no. That just does not make any sense from a business perspective.

This reminded me of the repeated close shaves for the lead characters from the movie 2012. Of course, the argument can be made that this is what usually happens in a disaster flick. At least with 2012, Columbia Pictures had the decency of not trying to build a movie franchise.

Coming back to the movie, the plot involves Pitt's character trying to find a cure for the global epidemic. There are a couple of scenes of massive zombie attacks that are executed competently.

The movie hits all the usual notes - Brad Pitt giving a lot of heroic/reaction shots, lots (and I mean lots) of screaming from Sterling Jerins and Abigail Hargrove as Constance Lane and Rachel Lane respectively, Mireille Enos as the stoic wife, characters thrown in peril and (most significantly) the main protagonist surviving even as supporting characters and tons of extras perish.

Speaking of supporting characters, it is the actors playing them who make the best impression. Fana Mokoena, James Badge Dale, David Morse and Daniella Kertesz breathe some life into this movie, that often embraces the spirit of the undead.

Marc Foster delivers another workmanlike product. It is no wonder that Quantum of Solace is the only dull entry to feature Daniel Craig's enjoyable turn as James Bond.

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I have not read the book, but by all accounts Max Brooks' book is a smartly written take on global geopolitics against the backdrop of zombie attack. The movie on the other hand, sacrifices such nuances and is content to being a generic summer blockbuster, with hopes of a profitable franchise. Very much like the recent Superman dud, Man of Steel.

Recommended only to die-hard fans of Brad Pitt and/or zombie genre. For readers looking for enjoyable zombie movies, I would suggest genre master George A. Romero's original movies, Shaun of the Dead, Zombieland, 28 Days Later and Dead Snow.

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Image Sources: Paramount Pictures, Skydance Productions, Plan B Entertainment

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