Just seen it and I'm really curious about what the original vision was. I can't believe that Brad's agent told him that it would consist of a travelogue where he flies from place to place, escaping from zombies in a series of increasingly improbable ways, pausing only to attempt to phone his wife.
There were quite a few unintentionally comic moments, amongst them:
Brad's missus trying to phone him and summoning the undead horde with the ringtone
Brad chopping the Israeli soldier's hand off to prevent the venom spreading
In the research lab towards the end, when they turn on the CCTV and mention what happened in B wing, did anyone else think the next line should have been 'Or, as we now call it, zom-B wing'?:D
Not to mention some rather daft plot holes:
How did the Latino kid escape from the flat? He's clearly still in there when the zombies break in but not only evades them but somehow climbs over the huge cupboard that Brad has thrown down the staircase.
Why does the zombie, who has somehow stowed away in a cupboard on the jetliner, wait until the air hostess opens the door before making his presence known?
I never felt any real sense of tension or impending danger; you always know Brad's going to make it. The intrinsic problem with any zombie flick is that zombies aren't very scary. From that Michael Jackson music video to Romero's films to video games, they've always been inherently rather comical and the stories about them tongue-in-cheek.
I think that the film failed by not showing enough of the human tragedy which would be behind such an apocalyptic scenario. One tracking shot in Terminator, showing humans reduced to living in rags in hovels, huddled around a fire in an empty TV set told us more about how far humanity had fallen than anything in World War Z. I suspect that, in many ways, the filmmakers were hamstrung by chasing a 15 rating.
It has piqued my interest in reading the novel but as a film it was very poor. This is a shame as Brad Pitt has delivered some of his best work in the past few years and is at the top of his game.
Slow moving & shuffling zombies are not scary & are quite laughable, but the fast movers from films like Dawn Of The Dead (2004) & World War Z do add another dimension to the zombie legend & make them seem more threatening.
Slow moving & shuffling zombies are not scary & are quite laughable, but the fast movers from films like Dawn Of The Dead (2004) & World War Z do add another dimension to the zombie legend & make them seem more threatening.
Nah classic slow zombies are the best, when the zombie apocalypse arrives I'm afraid you're going to end up eaten....the slow movers are always underestimated in movies and end up getting you in numbers.
Nothing wrong with the 28 day later/DOTD remake type things but there not really zombies to me, old school shufflers for me! :D
I think that the film failed by not showing enough of the human tragedy which would be behind such an apocalyptic scenario. One tracking shot in Terminator, showing humans reduced to living in rags in hovels, huddled around a fire in an empty TV set told us more about how far humanity had fallen than anything in World War Z.
Would the timescale of the film allow that though? WWZ was very much a quick 'as it happens' affair - the action takes place over two or three days at most IIRC.
I enjoyed it more than I thought, although it did come across as 'Jack Bauer vs the Zombies' at times. Dash to A, dash to B, biff-bang etc. But perhaps the most visually arresting film of the summer. One overhead shot of a deserted Cardiff suburb stuck in the mind more than any collapsing city.
Nah classic slow zombies are the best, when the zombie apocalypse arrives I'm afraid you're going to end up eaten....the slow movers are always underestimated in movies and end up getting you in numbers.
Nothing wrong with the 28 day later/DOTD remake type things but there not really zombies to me, old school shufflers for me! :D
I broadly agree - but it irks me that we never much see the classic zombie move of them slowly rising from the ground or grave. Always adds an extra and much-needed frisson to their undeadness - something both Hammer and Fulci copped on to. I suppose runner zombies would then have to break out into a trot, which would look silly.
i have a friend who was an extra on that film, man with a grey beard at the start of the carrier scene holding a piece of paper.
He's on screen alone for 3 seconds..he loved it and always talks about it:D
It was average but worth seeing once. I found Brad's greasy hair distracting and hoped he'd pop in a chemist in one of the cities he visited and picked up some Head & Shoulders.
Comments
Highly recommended.
The zombie jumping out on the plane was so annoying
Slow moving & shuffling zombies are not scary & are quite laughable, but the fast movers from films like Dawn Of The Dead (2004) & World War Z do add another dimension to the zombie legend & make them seem more threatening.
Nah classic slow zombies are the best, when the zombie apocalypse arrives I'm afraid you're going to end up eaten....the slow movers are always underestimated in movies and end up getting you in numbers.
Nothing wrong with the 28 day later/DOTD remake type things but there not really zombies to me, old school shufflers for me! :D
He played the same shambling, scruffy mumbler he's played in everything else he's ever been in.:yawn:
I enjoyed it more than I thought, although it did come across as 'Jack Bauer vs the Zombies' at times. Dash to A, dash to B, biff-bang etc. But perhaps the most visually arresting film of the summer. One overhead shot of a deserted Cardiff suburb stuck in the mind more than any collapsing city.
I broadly agree - but it irks me that we never much see the classic zombie move of them slowly rising from the ground or grave. Always adds an extra and much-needed frisson to their undeadness - something both Hammer and Fulci copped on to. I suppose runner zombies would then have to break out into a trot, which would look silly.
You obviously haven't seen 'everything' he's been in.:rolleyes: I suggest you see Fight Club or Killing Them Softly.
He's on screen alone for 3 seconds..he loved it and always talks about it:D