I am usually the guy who "reads the book" before he sees the movie, and this was the case. A couple of years ago, when I heard that a movie version of Max Brooks's "World War Z" was in the making, I decided to read the book. It was incredible read - a bit slow at times, but gripping, really.
The first thing I thought was - how in the world are they going to make a movie of this? The book was not told as a traditional narrative, but through a series of interviews told by several survivors of the zombie apocalypse. The collection of stories approaches the zombie scenario from all possible angles - politically, economically, medically, socially. What happens when conventional military weaponry is used in a war against an enemy that is essentially immune to your defenses? How to you plan a war against an army that increases in size every time you experience casualties? What happens to Hollywood in the midst of a dystopian society? What sort of movies would they make? What do zombies do during the freezing temperatures of winter? Which places would be geographically the safest? Which structures are the safest against zombie attacks? Can you turn historical landmarks into fortifications against the walking dead? What stories would the government and the media spin to explain away the end of times? Would you be safe at sea? What tools would ordinary citizens use to combat zombies? Would they use animals and dogs in their fight against the living corpses?
All of these topics - and much, much more - are tackled in Max Brooks's book. How in the world were they going to make a movie about that?
And, of course, the answer is - they can't.
When I heard that they were bringing Brad Pitt on-board to play Gerry Lane, a UN specialist assigned to investigate the rapidly-spreading zombie virus across the globe, I admit - I scoffed a bit. That's all this movie needed - a Hollywood icon leaping about acting heroic. There is no main character in the book, and Brad Pitt would definitely be a main character.
Add to that the stories I was getting about release delays, rewrites, and re-shoots. Like everyone else, I was thinking, "Man. This movie is gonna suck!"
One thing that gave me hope was that they obtained Marc Forster, who directed "Monster's Ball",
"The Kite Runner", and "Quantum of Solace." So there is no question that this movie will be visually stunning, and it is, with it's sweeping landscapes.
So, of course, the big surprise was - this movie was actually very good. It was riveting and intense. The movie starts out with the Lane family stuck in traffic in Philadelphia right as the zombie invasion occurs. The movie captures the confusion and terror of the mayhem. The family is able to escape, and the provisional U.N. government recruits Gerry to start investigating the origins of the virus, taking him to South Korea, to Jerusalem, and, finally, to Scotland. This movie kept me at the edge of my seat from start to finish.
On thing that I reported back to my extended family - for a zombie film, there was absolutely no traditional gore in this movie. You can take this as a plus or a minus. I am accustomed to gore. But it was nice to see a movie rely on storytelling rather than brain splatters.
Surprisingly, Brad Pitt did an excellent job in this film. Once I heard that he would head this cast, I assumed he would rush forward against the zombie horde with a machine gun, a stereotypical roar on his lips. Instead, he gave a great performance as the reluctant hero, the mask of fear and worry for his family on his face the whole movie. It was refreshing.
Look, this movie is never going to live up to the majestic scale of the book. There is no Battle of Yonkers in this film, which greatly disappointed me. But in its own right, given its own merits, this is more than just a mediocre zombie flick. It is a great movie. There are talks about a sequel. The debate is - does this story need a sequel? But, really, you couldn't have better material to draw from.
Factoid: Max Brooks is the son of comedian Mel Brooks and the late actress, Anne Bancroft.
