World War Z (2013) – Review

Where to watch World War Z

4 Stars

World War Z is the surprise of the summer, this is the ‘event’ movie audiences have been waiting for. Moving at a breakneck speed, the (oft-reported) troubled production has resulted in a captivating blockbuster with artistic flare and big scares. I didn’t think there was an ounce of creativity left in the genre, but Pitt and director Marc Foster along with a trio of screenwriters have reinvigorated the over-saturated.

It’s a normal weekday morning in New Jersey, Jerry (Brad Pitt) prepares breakfast for his wife and their two daughters before driving them to school and work. En-route to their destination, a wave of chaos breaks out on the streets. People scurry everywhere, desperate to elude flesh-eating zombies. In an instant the film begins its roller-coaster ride of thrills, narrow escapes and offbeat characters in a sort of Dickens-esque landscape overrun by the living dead.

The nearly non-stop action moves from the traffic-laden streets of Philadelphia to the desolate confines of an abandoned project building in the inner city, then onto a thrilling sequence in an airplane before a final showdown in the desert sun. All of this is done with high-energy and style to match. Whatever woes plagued the production are not evident on-screen. This is Hollywood commercialism at it’s finest.

World War Z puts to shame nearly all other Zombie pics of the last half century and easily rests as one of the best ‘invasion’ flicks of all time. Marc Foster and his filmmaking team, have trumped Spielberg, Emmerich, and Michael Bay (each who have had success in the genre) in delivering a heart-pumping and absorbing experience.

Directed by Marc Forster
Stars: Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos, Daniella Kertesz