World War Z Movie Review

WARNING - THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SLIGHT SPOILERS

I was apprehensive about World War Z based on the trailers. I saw huge swarms of zombies and was expecting a crazy, over-the-top zombie fest. And while the action was high, I’m pleased to say that the plot was a lot more robust than I initially expected. 

We meet our main character - Gerry Lane, played by Brad Pitt, and everything is perfect. We find out that he previously had a stressful job and now he’s retired so he can spend time with his family. Things are clearly going to go to shit very quickly. 

The next thing we see is the entire family stuck in a huge traffic jam. A police bike goes past and takes the wing mirror off the car and everything goes to hell pretty soon afterwards. What follows is a tense twenty minutes of Gerry and his family trying to get the hell out of the city. Gerry has contacts in the government and they eventually escape the chaos to be taken to an air craft carrier. 

This is when we find out that Gerry used to work for the UN and he was one of their best agents. They now need him to go in and help find an antidote to the virus. He’s reluctant at first, but when he’s told that they will turn his family away if he doesn’t, he agrees to go into the field. 

What follows is Gerry travelling from South Korea, to Israel, to Wales, to Nova Scotia. Each stop on the global tour reveals another piece of the puzzle. 

I loved this film’s plot. It was an intelligent, well thought out story that was an engaging and suspenseful. I often see zombie films rely so heavily on the zombies that the plot ends up either neglected or cliche. I’m pleased to say that World War Z was neither. This was the first film that I have seen in the cinema in a long time where I felt it could have gone on for three hours longer and I would have watched it all. 

If I were to make a list of my top three zombie films it would go like this:

1) 28 Days Later

2) World War Z

3) Dawn of the Dead (2004)

8 out of 10.

Michael Robertson

Get Crash by Michael Robertson at - www.michaelrobertson.co.uk

World War Z Official Trailer

I’ve been excited to see World War Z with Brad Pitt since it came to my attention over a year ago. Having heard huge praise for the book of the same name by Max Brookes, I have high hopes for it. I’ve watched all of the trailers so far, so in anticipation of the official release, here is the official trailer and my thoughts. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Md6Dvxdr0AQ

I like how this one starts. One of the scariest things about a zombie apocalypse is that the majority of people have someone, and more likely, many people that they love, and the majority of people will lose most of them. To show Brad Pitt in the car with his little girls reminds us just how vulnerable we are to potential chaos. A zombie film is a powerful metaphor for how tenuous society is. It seems that many things could tip us over the edge into oblivion. 

The next thing we see is a huge explosion. Panic and confusion are great for creating tension. We’re then shown a policeman barking orders and seconds later, a truck takes him out. The law, the ones here to serve and protect, have just been rendered useless. 

We then see chaos and a man taking action in a world where there are no rules. In the space of seconds, every social construction is devastated and only the strongest will survive. 

However, where World War Z looks different to other zombie films is that the main protagonist has connections with either the government or a high enough power to equip him with everything he needs. In amongst the chaos, an agency has survived and a level of order is being fought for. 

The zombies - I love fast zombies. 28 Days Later, in my humble opinion, is the greatest zombie film I’ve ever seen. I love how bleak it is and how scary the fast zombies are. Never mind an undead horde that shuffles along in search of brains, these zombies want to fuck you up. It looks like World War Z is the same. The sheer weight of zombies is an interesting idea. In built up areas I suppose a herd would be like that if they were fast. I worry about the cgi. I hate to say it, but the trailer made me think of I Am Legend, which, for me, isn’t a positive association. The film was okay. The CGI was embarrassing, or at least the imagined monsters were.

We see more chaos, but we also see people moved to aircraft carriers. It seems that an element of faith has been placed in the government, thinking that they’ll look after their citizens. This also seems like a fresh approach, which is nice to see. 

Overall I’m still super excited to watch this film. It seems fresh and has the potential to be an amazing take on the zombie genre. Brad Pitt is sure to impress. For me, this all hinges on the zombies themselves. Please don’t be another I Am Legend. 

It looks great. I hope it is.   

Who Would You Want With You During a Zombie Apocalypse? Woody Harrelson v Michonne.

So there's zombies running around and you have to pick someone - just one person - fictional or real - that you want to have with you to help you survive. Two that I can't decide between are Woody Harrelson and Michonne from The Walking Dead.

Fighting Ability

This one is a close call. Michonne is deadly in The Walking Dead. She removes zombies heads in a flash. She's a survivor. But the Woody Harrelson in Zombieland and Natural Born Killers is one bad MF.

Draw.

Personality

If judging Michonne's personality based on the TV show, then it would be Woody hands down. She hasn't really said much yet and unlike the character in the comics, she seems quite moody. She's like a withdrawn teenager. She's better in the comics. However, Woody is hilarious. Zombieland isn't a great film but it would be shocking if it wasn't for Woody's performance. I think he'd have you in stitches. Michonne, while deadly, would get boring pretty quick. Sure, you'd be alive, but it would be quite a dry existence.

Woody.

Resourcefulness

I think this one would have to go to Michonne. I just can't see Woody existing on berries and leaves, whereas I think Michonne would keep you alive for years through foraging. She'd know which mushrooms to eat and what leaves to wipe your arse with. I think once all of the food supplies ran out, Woody would be running around like a headless chicken. He doesn't seem like the boy scout type. Michonne would also be able to survive without Twinkies.

Michonne.

Stealth

In a world full of zombies, stealth is important right? It would get pretty tiring having to fight every zombie that you came across. Again, I would have to give this to Michonne because Woody just doesn't give a shit. In fact, Woody would probably revel in the chance to try and fight every zombie that came his way. Michonne, on the other hand, would be sneaking through the woods, saving her energy and only killing the zombies that she needs to kill. This seems like a more sensible strategy.

Michonne.

Result

So Michonne comes out on top. She would definitely keep you alive for longer. But if i had to spend the last of my days with someone, I would have to give it to Woody. At least you'd be laughing when a zombie was trying to eat your face off.