mediocre in parts but refreshing to the genre in general

Rating: 6/10 (4 September 2013)

After all the badmouthing I was actually surprised about how enjoyable this title was. Sure, it follows your usual dramaturgy so very well known from about a quarter million other movies from Hollywood but against the background of the genre, WWZ really manages to shine in some parts.
The Novella by Max Brooks, which this movie is based upon, is definitely recognisable even if the writers of the screenplay took their freedoms. The parts where the film borrows from the book are also and unsurprisingly the strongest. The whole setting is a refreshing approach to the genre as the initial outbreak and how people and governments probably would try to fight it is portrayed and not the dystopian aftermath, which is the case with pretty much every other title of the genre. I also like how the fast spread of such a virus/disease in densely populated areas and the consequences with gigantic hordes of zombies are displayed. All these are authentic aspects (as far as a "zombie apocalypse" goes however) you rarely see in other titles of the genre except the beginning of the original "Dawn of the Dead" from 1978.
If the characters wouldn't have followed your usual stereotypes and the film would have dealt with the socio-economic implications of such an event more (a bit like "Contagion" from 2011 - e.g. what about oil, food, power etc. if everything comes to a standstill) it could have even been a truly great addition to the genre. This way, it is just a tad bit above average.