World War Z Review - OR - Brad Pitt's Metaphorical Nightmare

Plot

What begins as an ordinary day for Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt), his wife Karin (Mireille Enos) and two daughters turns out to be anything but as a relentless sprinting horde of the undead erupts out of nowhere to lay waste to Philadelphia. From there the Lane’s are swept into a desperate chase for survival that finds ex-UN employee Gerry travelling the world in the hunt for a cure.

Legit question: does gravity not work on helicopters? So many dudes just leaning out of the door...

Verdict

Similarly to Man of Steel, but in a thoroughly Earth-based context, the most commendable element of World War Z is its ambition for scope. Zombie outbreaks and the inevitable dystopic apocalypse that follows are as common a movie trope as ‘boy gets girl’ these days and are just as contrived, so it’s refreshing to see World War Z not just push the boat out but veritably rocket it into the ocean blue. This is no intimately set suburban survival story or city based infiltration but a full-blown global assault and Z delights in showing that off, flinging Pitt from the States to Korea to Israel and even Cardiff like a child’s plaything. It makes for effective – not to mention novel – viewing and frequently threatens to hit a home run if not for the sometimes torrid pacing and almost complete absence of direction.

While Zis obviously eager to show itself off as a grand-scale picture it still feels inclined to ground the experience in the warm fuzzy heart of a family – namely Gerry, his wife and two moronic children – leading to a split in focus where neither direction is given anywhere near enough attention to reach its true potential. The introduction, wherein Philladelphia is sacked by the undead, is one of the strongest sequences throughout and focuses squarely on Gerry and his hapless flock. But that’s it. Afterwards, wife and children sit idly by on a boat whilst Action Man Gerry travels the globe with remarkable speed to attempt to single-handedly save humanity. When the family split off its constituent parts refuse to develop any further; they get stuck in a dramatically laborious rut which does no end of damage to the film’s attempts at cultivating fear, excitement and empathy with it’s audience.

Looks like a hell of a gig.

So many elements of World War Z are so perplexingly odd – so intrinsically and nonsensically wrong – that you can’t help but question the entire production. Whether on purpose or not, the zombies themselves are frequently hilarious, seemingly trying to out do each other in a ‘bad dinosaur impersonation’ contest. It all comes to a head in the final clash – if that’s the right word to describe anything that happens in a fridge – involving a gormless Brad Pitt and the Mr. Bean of zombies.

In fact, Z raises so many questions you can’t help but wonder whether the entire thing was crafted under the world’s largest apathetic umbrella, the sort that only blocks a bit of rain while the rest runs down your leg or neck:
- why didn’t Gerry, a trained and apparently well-respected field agent for the UN, turn his frickin’ phone off?
- and why the hell were they on rusty bikes?

- why would a city sing very loudly through megaphones whilst under siege from an undead horde?
- why would you ever think it’s a good idea to try and block enraged bloodthirsty creatures from the netherworld with suitcases?

- why wouldn’t you just use a different door if it’s making more noise than the apocalypse itself?

- why would you use a gun against one zombie when you know it will alert the entire squawking army?

- why would you chug down a refreshing Pepsi (trademark) while your friends and allies are seconds away from being overrun by undead beasts?

And here we see Brad Pitt shoving children in a desperate attempt to survive.

While the opening offers a genuine impression of harrowing tension as the horror kicks off, Z loses all sense of pacing and action until the midway Israel scene. Though admittedly a stellar if not bewildering sequence, it serves to highlight the often-missed potential of Z. The concept is strong as is the cast (not that they’re given anything to do but look a bit sad) but there’s a general impression of incompleteness that mars the entire experience.

If Zdidn’t sport the name of Mr. Brad Pitt on all of its posters and adverts it would undoubtedly have found itself swiftly dumped in the bargain bin. As it is, names equate to money and so it was with Z and its tentatively stated $200 million-ish budget. But money does not equate to quality and Z is the definition of that. There’s a trilogy oncoming apparently and the foundations that Z lays are certainly sturdy enough to support future films that can really get their teeth stuck into the juicy premise. 

Unfortunately, Zis far from that level. A zombie film it may be, but that's no excuse for lacking any identifiable pulse or heart.

Mortal enemies or long lost friends?

Verdict

Ultimately, as with most things in life, the answer could be found in a Cardiff basement.

2/5

Traily trailers:

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