World War Z

For the record, I pronounce the title of this movie "World War Zed" because I am Canadian (just wanted to get that out of the way). I went to see this film because of what I saw in the trailer. The zombies acting like insects felt quite original but I am not much of a zombie fan whether in movies or video games. "I Am Legend" was well done but I liked it more than "World War Z". Brad Pitt carries this film because he is the only famous name in the cast and in my opinion; his performance was enough to make this movie decent in my book. The show had many setbacks occur during its production and I feel it negatively affected the overall film. As a filmgoer, I enjoy suspense over action or horror and so I didn't mind this film too much.

Because of the problems that this film had during its creation, the narrative doesn't flow as naturally as I would have liked. There were problems for example with character exposition. In any disaster movie, we must care about the main characters and hope for their success and survival. All the characters in the film, even Gerry, were not established well enough or believable enough. On a more positive note, "World War Z" is more about creating suspense for the audience as opposed to scaring them. Moments that make me jump in my seat are not my favorite anyhow. While I enjoyed the scene on the airliner after the escape from Jerusalem, my favorite scene is the climax as it should be. The re-writes by Damon Lindelof (who co-wrote "Star Trek Into Darkness") and the end scene as written by Drew Goddard (from TV's "Lost") saved this movie for me. You need to end any story on a good note and this show does that. The suspense was also sincerely created. Gerry makes it to the pathogens but then is forced to put his theory to the ultimate test. I love how the zombie that has trapped Gerry repeatable snaps his teeth. I also love the reaction of the doctors to Gerry's victory and how Gerry stops to get a soda on his way out. The original ending of "World War Z" was a big climatic battle in Red Square in Moscow but it was changed so that Gerry would be the same character throughout the entire movie. He was going to be a glorified warrior in that battle instead of the family man he starts out as. I am grateful for the change. From a realistic standpoint, it was good that the movie ended with hope but not complete victory over the zombies. It appears that other known actors were considered to be in this movie but because of scheduling conflicts, they didn't join the film. Pitt therefore seems to carry the whole film and his sincerity was sufficient.

Any film fan going to this show desiring action or fright might be disappointed. Also, there was no reason for this film to be in 3D. Brad Pitt's performance and the ending of the movie are its best selling points. I wish the story would have been better but it was good enough.

3 Stars out of 5