World War Z

"Mother nature is a serial killer." These are the memorable words of the Harvard virologist who is helping Brad Pitt's Gerry Lane track down patient zero and hoping to stop the zombie apocalypse from ending humankind. Very loosely based on the novel of the same name by Max Brooks, the film gives us a fresh perspective on the genre that is all the craze right now.

Let's get this out of the way. Zombies. What is it with the cultural infatuation? My theory is that there is something secretly exciting about the prospect of an apocalyptic event. People have an innate drive for combat/survival/escape (whatever you want to call it) and a zombie apocalypse is something exciting enough, but not quite terrifying because it's completely absurd. Not quite as absurd as an alien invasion, and not quite as frightening as a tsunami, but the Goldilocks apocalyptic scenario. Everyone has a strategy "in the event of zombie attacks". Don't pretend you don't. I personally appreciate Brad Pitt's approach; movement is life.

The film has had more than its share of problems from the get go. Procurement, financing, development, story changes, postponed release date, and critical cynicism. I don't get the negativity. Simply put, the previews make this film look pretty cool. the music is perfect in that ominous bass-line reverberation kind of way, and the realism angle prevails more than any other zombie (or pandemic) film that I can remember. The story is massively predictable, but the suspense is maintained through terrific action sequences and sparing the blood that is such a staple of most zombie flicks. There is no gore porn here, in fact, the zombies themselves aren't hideously missing pieces of their bodies or drooling as they limp along. No, they are rabidly possessed mindless creatures that want nothing more than to spread the virus to a new host. No brain eating, just glassy-eyed people chomping at the bit (literally) to give infectious bites. And the transformation is within seconds, unlike other films of the genre where a member of the group is secretly infected, just waiting for the chance to get someone alone and get them (or more likely, get them in a situation they shouldn't be in). This film is just sharper all around.

What makes the character development work is that there are really just four characters that don't seem disposable at one point or another. Gerry Lane and his wife and two children. The family are relegated to very little screen time after the chaotic action sequence to start the film off, however, there is constantly a sense of hope; an anchor that keeps the hackles up while Gerry is globetrotting searching for the cause (and cure). As a viewer, you somehow feel for this family, and as other characters come and go, they are expendable, so there isn't shock or sadness when they are lost, just an edge-of-your seat hope that Gerry can survive.

What makes the character connection so visceral also cheats the viewer out of some realism. I'm not talking zombie logistics realism, but actual global pandemonium realism. Gerry has a skill set and some vague background with the UN, the WHO, and consequently has major connections. These connections seem to give him the free pass to commandeer cargo and commuter planes, helicopters, procure teams of Army Rangers, Navy SEALs, and Israeli commandos. Not likely in the midst of a crisis of epic proportions. Where the film does redeem some of those points is how Gerry handles himself, his family, and the crisis. Like a true professional. Nowhere in the film does the director use scare tactics, or ill-fated decisions by the nutcase who can't handle the situation. Gerry takes each situation on one by one, and handles them like a Boy Scout. He keeps moving, and consequently, he stays alive. The major action sequences bring a blockbuster quality to an otherwise uncategorizable film. And each major action sequence is delightful.

The writers of the film are a dream team for any movie. Matthew Michael Carnahan (The Kingdom, Lions for Lambs) takes his military action film expertise, mixes it with Damon Lindelof (Lost, Prometheus) and his sci-fi background, who then mixes with Drew Goddard (Cabin in the Woods, Cloverfield) and his horror/monster experience, and then shakes it up with J. Michael Straczynski (He-Man, Twilight Zone, Thor, Babyon 5, Walker, Texas Ranger) and his decades of screenwriting. It's an all-star lineup of writers, and for that I give kudos. The end product? A very well done story. Not too complicated, not too simple. Just right.

Marc Forster redeems himself from his past two films: Machine Gun Preacher and Quantum of Solace (James Bond films are hard to screw up). He's probably best known for Monster's Ball, Stranger than Fiction, and Finding Neverland. All three are independent level movies that were good, but WWZ takes things up a notch. Despite its problems, and gargantuan budget that hovered in the $200-300 million range, the team pulled off a solid movie. Brad Pitt's production team might not take the hit initially thought as WWZ took in $66 million opening weekend, and is near the $100 million mark after just a week. International audiences will eat this up, consuming over $40 million so far.

If you like zombie movies (and everybody with a pulse does...) and you like suspenseful action, WWZ will be a pleasant surprise. If you haven't heard anything about it, you might not be surprised, but you will be pleased. 9/10.