Forget
vampires, because between television juggernauts like The Walking Dead, frustratingly enduring film series such as Resident Evil, and genre-bending
mash-ups like Zombieland and Warm Bodies, pop-culture’s preoccupation
with the undead is firmly focused on decaying flesh-eaters. So it was only a matter of time before
Hollywood set its sights on Max Brook’s popular apocalyptic horror novel, even
if the narrative structure didn’t necessarily lend itself to feature-length
film adaptation. Unfortunately, it began
to look like even Brad Pitt’s immense drawing power wouldn’t be able to save World War Z, as the project was
continually plagued with production setbacks, release delays, and rewrites…never
a good sign. And for the life of me, I
really couldn’t see the logic behind the adamant refusal of Paramount’s
marketing department to use the word “zombie” in any promotional material. So with shaky development, an altogether
confusing marketing campaign, and considerable box office competition, there
was a very real chance that World War Z
would end up a financial failure, regardless of actual quality.
Tense,
frightening, and genuinely smart, World
War Z is an immensely entertaining entry in the zombie genre, one which
benefits greatly from the gripping pacing and a thoroughly charming performance
delivered by Brad Pitt. In portraying
the early days of an extinction-level event, from riots to government response
and the science behind the zombie virus, the narrative gives weight and reality
to a long-established horror mythos, cleverly generating “what if” fears that
will keep audiences talking long after they have left the theater. Add-in the immersive scoring and the intense
action sequences, and there is more than enough energy and thrills to keep
everyone from casual fans to survival horror purists genuinely happy. True, a few of the finer plot points are
predictable, and there isn’t much in terms of cast performance beyond the
top-billed A-lister, but those small shortcomings don’t tank overall
quality. For all the red flags raised
during its development, World War Z
emerges as a strong, entertaining, and thoroughly surprising Summer Blockbuster
that demands attention and deserves critical accolade.
Overall
Recommendation: High
