World War Z

World War Z had all the makings of a box-office disappointment. A highly anticipated summer blockbuster that saw its budget balloon with an overly invested movie star (Brad Pitt) set to star. Well it turns out that people like zombies and long-haired Brad because the film is doing well. WWZ stars Pitt as an ex- United Nations worker, who crosses the globe looking for a cure to the zombies that have overrun Earth’s cities. I’m no expert on zombie-lore, but these are runner zombies that turn other humans by biting them. So many scenes consist of one zombie infiltrating a group of humans and starting a chain reaction that sees everyone turned.

Based on a book that is told as multiple individual accounts, the film has Pitt’s character travel around and encounter zombie events first hand. But with that format, the audience is introduced to a number of characters who either die or only last for a few scenes. There can be no confusion as to whose movie this is because there is nonstop Brad Pitt action. Pitt gives his usual steady performance without offering more than we are used to from the famous lead. But it would seem the audience is meant to think this former UN “worker,” who apparently killed bad guys a lot has both the strength to get through a ton of close calls and the brains to find the cure to stop zombies. Long-haired Brad Pitt doesn’t fit that description very well.

Many of the zombie events in the film can be compared to past zombie movies, so World War Z does lack a bit of originality. It will be remembered for some iconic imagery like the zombies climbing each other like ants to get over a large wall, but it didn’t add too much to undead culture. Predictability is the movie’s biggest curse. Spoiler Alert: You can kill off as many people as you want, but with Pitt so prominently featured, there is little risk of him dying in any of the encounters. There is a reason most zombie movies are small films without A list celebrities.

Each film earns either zero, a half or a full arrow in five categories. The categories are Acting, Writing/Directing, Emotion, Innovation and Overall Impression. The arrows are added up to equal the full score.