World War Z (2013)

Paramount Pictures

Over the past 10 years, the zombie movie genre has been done to death, but just like a zombie it refuses to stay dead and buried. I was skeptical of World War Z since new ground in this genre hasn’t

been broken in years, yet World War Z turned out to be the freshest take since 28 Days Later hit
screens a decade ago. It lived up to the “world” in its title and showed the effects of zombies on a
global scale.

The plodding, Romero zombies are ancient history now and like everything since 28 Days Later,
World War Z features zombies that are quick on their feet and even pile on top of each other to scale
a wall! That’s where the global aspect is shown since each country had their own strategy for combating the undead ghouls, with South Korea possibly having the most effective method. Troops stationed in South Korea shoot their zombies in the knees, reducing them to a crawl, which allows for effective zombie scares as they grab and claw for victims.

World War Z feels similar to the movie Contagion from several years ago because it focuses more on the epidemic side of the zombie outbreak, rather than centering around a few characters boarded up in a house or structure where they’re fighting for survival. This movie’s plot is based on finding the source of the outbreak, which then could allow for a possible cure, though it still manages to maintain a personal character story despite its global setting. Gerry Lane (played by Brad Pitt) is sent on a mission to find the source, while he is also trying to make it back safely to be with his family. His family unit actually feels like a family, which adds to the believability so you’ll want to see a happy ending for these characters. Pitt even has a great scene near the end; which is likely the most smug he has ever been in a movie since Fight Club. Few actors play a major role outside of Brad Pitt’s Lane, though there are a few familiar faces and memorable characters throughout the movie. The ending leaves the door wide open for a sequel or two, perhaps Beyond World War Z, and they could go in several directions whether they decide to follow up on Pitt’s story, show another side of the world battling the undead, or how the world rebuilds after the outbreak.