World War Z may have some fundamental storytelling issues, but it is undeniably enjoyable.

Rating: 7/10 (26 February 2018)

This is one of those films where my rating shifts constantly between two scores. Depending on what mood I'm in, I'll either give it the better score or the lower. Today, I'm willing to give it the better score. In a decade where we have The Walking Dead and other popular zombie films, World War Z tries to set itself apart from the rest by injecting action set pieces rather than pure horror. The globe is hit with a pandemic, a virus that if contracted within 12 seconds you'll be turned into a 'zombie'. The dreaded Z word that strikes fear into the heart of many...except our protagonist's family who seems to be calmer than most oceans. Like seriously, zombies are ravaging people in the middle of New York City and they are so cool and calm it's as if they witness this everyday! But yes, this is a typical zombie formula where we go from point A to B to C and to D in order to find answers. Along the way, the film is fuelled by exhilarating set pieces ranging from New York City, raining South Korea and dusty Jerusalem. It's utterly watchable and does keep me captivated for its entire runtime. Despite the atrocious human visual effects for the hordes of zombies (which...is just horrendously bad), I like their mannerisms. Little idiosyncrasies like chattering of the teeth, consistent spasms in the arm and, my favourite, nose diving off buildings. Zombie missiles as such, minus the explosion. Brad Pitt holds every scene in a quieter performance than usual. His wit has been substituted for focus and fear simultaneously, and it works. Liked the members of WHO but all over cast members were wasted. What I cannot stand are the huge amount of conveniences in the plot. Wherever our main character goes, trouble shortly arrives. Call it bad luck or convenience, it's uninspired and formulaic regardless. I can't shake it off. Having said that, it's enjoyable for what it is. It holds my attention and is well made...just has a few niggles that I can't forgive.