memorable action, moderate scares

Rating: 7/10 (22 June 2013)

What more can we do with zombies? From its low budget thriller roots, we have seen the undead in comedies, westerns and even romance. World War Z however has what no zombie movie has ever got- get a mega-star to globe trot the world, spend gazillions in special effects and scary 3D, in short give it blockbuster status. Is that a good thing? Mostly so, because World War Z is a great action movie, but unlike what fans of the genre absolutely cannot do without- it is not scary enough, it is not gory enough.
Based on Max Brooks' apocalyptic novel by the same name, it kind of deviates from the book which essentially is a 'commentary on government inabilities, corruption and human short sightedness. Brad Pitt acquired the rights to make a film version of the same, and converted it into a USD 250 million summer blockbuster replete with massive CGI and the usual "white man saving the world"theme. The start is awesome- at a traffic jam in Pittsburgh, Gerry Lane (Pitt) and his family have their first encounter with the zombies, who in turn are not like any other zombies seen before. They do not amble aimlessly. They turn within seconds, and know how to work together. They are an animalistic, feral lot- running, leaping and snarling. The violence hits searingly fast, although to get a PG13 rating, much to my dismay, there is no actual zombie chomping flesh, or for that matter, any blood on screen. The infection spreads across the globe with lightning speed and the only safe places it seems are the warships. To keep his family safe, Lane has to traverse the world to find a cure to the pandemic.
All this global traipsing gives ample opportunities for the mega bucks to show. And show it does in some style- the zombie mountain shots as they overrun Jerusalem's mighty walls is incredible, as is the manic infestation sequence in the airline and the tense climax in a W.H.O center. The movie revolves around Brad Pitt, who plays an everyday superhero- he is resourceful, brave, unpretentious and driven. Everybody else is a placeholder, including Pitts on screen better half Mirielle Enos in her first big budget appearance. Director Marc Forster manages to create a panicky mood, and the changing face of humanity in face of unprecedented calamity. His job was to make R rated fare into PG13 impactful and that he does as well as one could.
To sum up, this is a zombie flick for the masses, not zombie movie fans. Fans of the genre might be disappointed at the lack of blood and bones, they would be better off with Romero, Boyle or any episode of The Walking Dead. But for people seeking action set pieces with memorable special effects, this one is right up there with the years' best- 7/10