It fails as an apocalyptic film but works as an OK action flick

Rating: 6/10 (5 December 2013)

I have finally just got round to watching World War Z after all the hyperbole has died down.
Now I must make it clear that I read and thoroughly enjoyed the book when it was first published and that I agree with all those other critics' who question the film's faithfulness to its source material and that it is was indeed a real opportunity wasted to make a worthwhile and credible film about global politics and the fragility of human society. Zombies in the Romeronian sense have always acted as a visual metaphor for society's cultural Other, yet this film lacks such depth and therefore I think it is only fair that the film should be considered in isolation, that we forget about its faithfulness to its source material and view the film for what it is –a Hollywood star vehicle and money making visual blockbuster.
-If we keep this in mind then the film is not as bad as everyone has made out.
There is a lot to be admired in the film. Brad Pitt is steady as always and some of the set pieces including the beginning in Philadelphia and the scene in Jerusalem are visually impressive. The decision to make the zombie's fast rather than lumbering as in Romero's films makes sense and it gives the film a sense of dynamism which is administered effectively in the set pieces. Also I think the lack of gore as some fan boys have complained about does not detract from the overall film and there are a number of jump out of your seat scares, although these do become predictable after a while.
Of course there is nothing original about this film, there is nothing being offered here that we haven't seen before and done better. This is a shame, but given the amount of money invested in this film is it any surprise they played it safe? We can also sit and pick apart the plot holes until the cows come home, they are numerous but it still shouldn't detach from the overall film, I mean how many times do we watch the Die Hard films and think "no, that wouldn't happen!" This is pure visual popcorn fodder and as such it does a competent, sometimes good but never amazing job.
Where the film really falls down is in its lack of overall cohesiveness. It feels like a series of separate spectacular action sequences loosely tied together with poor dialogue. Brad Pitt's love for his family is unconvincing and the story of human survival which should have underpinned the whole story is seriously underplayed. As such the film just doesn't work as a whole and you come away at the end feeling a little cheated, a little unsatisfied.
As a huge fan of apocalyptic cinema in general I found the film disappointing because it plays down the human struggle and it really doesn't have a lot to say. Given the promise of its source material this could have been spectacular addition to the genre if it had been placed in the hands of the right director. Nonetheless, zombie films have always tended to be more niche in cinematic terms and have not always fostered mass appeal. This was a huge blockbuster film made especially for mass appeal so it is understandable why certain generic elements take centre stage.
In view of this the film works better as an action film that just so happens to be about zombies but really they could have been anything and the film would still feel the same.