Review: World War Z (2013) - Out on Blu-ray/DVD today

Cast: Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos, Daniella Kertesz
Director: Marc Forster
Country: USA | Malta
Genre: Action | Drama | Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller
Official Trailer: Here

Editor’s Notes: World War Z is out on Blu-ray and DVD today, September 17th. Special features include ‘WWZ: Production’, ‘Looking to Science’, and digital copies.

Long has there been a fascination with zombies and the prospect of a zombie apocalypse, such a fascination that Hollywood has exploited many times and, aside from the substantial budget, World War Z is no different. Perhaps it’s the recent popularity of the hit TV program The Walking Dead, or possibly just that cinemas hadn’t seen their fair share of zombie apocalypse films for a few years that prompted World War Z to be made; either way, World War Z is a mediocre addition to the genre that, without Brad Pitt, would have had no chance commercially. The film is a half-hearted effort saturated with every genre cliché imaginable that makes it neither spectacularly good nor bad; it’s merely tediously immemorable.

The film is a half-hearted effort saturated with every genre cliché imaginable that makes it neither spectacularly good nor bad; it’s merely tediously immemorable.

Life for former United Nations investigator Gerry Lane is blissfully dull; having retired from the business, he can now spend some quality time with his family in peace. That is, until the majority of the world’s population becomes infected with a mysterious virus that turns them into mindless, ravenous zombies. Desperate to ensure the safety of his family, Gerry embarks on a journey across the world with his former comrades to investigate the disease. What follows is a perilous expedition from country to country to try to find answers and possibly the key to saving humanity and civilization.

It is nigh impossible to make a decent zombie apocalypse film that is rated PG-13/12A and this rings true in the case of World War Z. Entertaining gore and real thrills are replaced by rare cheap scares and tame action. Moreover, the entire look of the film is poor; it’s difficult to ascertain exactly where the estimated $190,000,000 budget was spent. There are no grandiose set pieces blended with CGI for a convincing quality and no large-scale sets that really warranted any expensive VFX. Much of the film takes place in secluded and claustrophobic rooms, such as laboratories or the inside of the passenger airliner. The only palpable use of CGI at all was for swarms of zombies and occasional fill-in zombies in the background that ultimately leads to an ambience similar to that of the truly dire I Am Legend. The zombies themselves are unconvincing; they merely resemble ill human beings with a tendency to snap their teeth and sprint a lot. They are devoid of any of the repugnant decay and death that fans of the genre so desperately desire, with apparently little of the gargantuan budget being spent on make-up or prosthetics. It seems the only plausible explanation for where the money was ultimately poured is Brad Pitt’s back pocket.

 The plot fails to be compelling at any moment in the film; dissimilar to the majority of other films in the genre, there is not a single moment of tension or any thrill value present in World War Z, with every single deus ex machinas foreseeable from a mile away.

The plot fails to be compelling at any moment in the film; dissimilar to the majority of other films in the genre, there is not a single moment of tension or any thrill value present in World War Z, with every single deus ex machinas foreseeable from a mile away. Furthermore, the attention of the audience frequently drops due to the hugely inconsistent pace of the narrative; there are a number of high-octane, adrenaline-fuelled action sequences scattered throughout World War Z, but the majority are drowning in an ocean of long, drawn-out monotonous dialectical sequences which achieve nothing but lull the audience into a zombified state of utter boredom.

The lack of any character depth whatsoever is yet another contributing factor to the failure of this film; the family in particular feels forced and falsified. The unbelievable and superficial nature of this predicament merely succeeds in preventing the audience from feeling any sympathy for the family or their unfortunate situation. As the film progresses, it seems its only purpose was to provide a backdrop for the overwhelming abundance of painfully obvious product placement that made World War Z laughable, even bordering on the ridiculous. If the audience isn’t being visually assaulted by such product placement, then in the meantime they are being swallowed whole by gaping plot holes that obliterate the narrative and provide a tap from which the film’s credibility seeps.

Ultimately, World War Z amounts to nothing more than a missed opportunity; the rich source material from whence it was spawned is poorly underused and the film serves as merely an example of the damage marketing executives can do to the credibility and integrity of a great story. It further supports the sad but ever-proven truth that perhaps zombie apocalypse films aren’t suitable for 10 year olds and that a decent PG-13 rated film of such a beloved genre is impossible to attain. Somewhere on planet Earth, whilst hearing about the notion of a zombie apocalypse film with a target audience of families, George A. Romero weeps.

The following two tabs change content below.

• Bio
• Latest Posts

Zoe De Pasquale

Staff Film Critic

Having been raised on a steady diet of 'Star Wars' and 'The Lord of the Rings', I learned from a very young age that film was a form of escapism, as well as entertainment. I see film as a true form of art, not only because it evokes emotions within a person, but it allows people to learn something about themselves merely by watching. My love for film is intrinsic to who I am and teaches me new things everyday.

Latest posts by Zoe De Pasquale (see all)

• Review: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013) - December 14, 2013
• Rewind Review: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) - NP Approved - December 10, 2013
• Review: Saving Mr. Banks (2013) - December 10, 2013