World War Z- A Bewildering Failure in Successful Adaptation That Results in a Mediocre Zombie Apocalypse Actioner

Rating: 5/10 (20 June 2013)

It almost seems insulting to name the new apocalyptic zombie film World War Z after the highly acclaimed novel of the same name by author Max Brooks because there is not one ounce of accuracy in the film to the geo-political insight, thought provoking societal adaptation, or intelligent post-apocalyptic scenarios that Brooks' book contained in every riveting chapter. Mel Brooks' notably talented son crafted an incredibly intriguing novel that was a retrospect on how the world changed during the ten years battling an unknown zombie outbreak and yet Marc Forster's film, plagued by notorious rewrites, reshoots, and a relentless production hell, has only borrowed minor details in order to make a rather generic zombie feature. Critiquing World War Z on the merits of adaptation would result in an absolute failure of concept, execution, and character so the only other way of objectively reviewing the film would be an assessment in how well it fits in the post-apocalyptic and zombie genres on its own where it barely passes the minimum of critical standards. With a television show like "The Walking Dead" and films such as 28 Days Later offering superior options for the zombie genre of entertainment, where complex characters and human nature insight give us a fully conceptual and emotional experience, it's difficult to see desperate, minor efforts as anything but average. Unfortunately World War Z ends up being a drastically uneven affair with some occasionally solid action sequences featuring one dimensional characters we care almost nothing about and semi-intelligent concepts that are inevitably lost in the chaotic, physics defying fray that is practically relentless. The third act of the film has some uneasy atmospheric merit but the beginnings ambivalence to setting up complex characters and the middle's illogical and excessive middle make it a laborious trek to get through that has too much brawn and very little braininess for a post-apocalyptic film. Though the opening twenty minutes are hectically confusing enough to be engaging the remainder of the film feels incredibly fragmented in its tonal inconsistency and empty due to its lack of connection to a protagonist that never seems human, vulnerable, or complex. Considering the unevenness of Marc Forster's direction, the blandness in Brad Pitt's performance, the abandonment of adaptation accuracy from the original novel, and the crippling production problems the film encountered, World War Z can confidently claim the appropriate description of being mediocre.
Read more: http://wp.me/py8op-A4; More reviews: Generationfilm.net