 ***PLEASE NOTE: A Blu-ray 3D disc is only compatible with 3D Blu-ray players.*** Tagline: Remember Philly! "The suspense is killer!" proclaims Peter Travers of Rolling Stone in this fast-paced, pulse-pounding epic of the potential last days of the human race. Former United Nations employee Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt) is called upon to help stop the chaotic pandemic that has gripped populations around the world. Lane fights to keep his family safe, while searching for an answer to the outbreak before it destroys all of civilization. David Denby of The New Yorker calls World War Z the "most gratifying action spectacle in years!" Storyline: United Nations employee Gerry Lane traverses the world in a race against time to stop the Zombie pandemic that is toppling armies and governments, and threatening to destroy humanity itself. Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Martin Liebman on September 11, 2013 -- There may be nothing bigger in the broad entertainment field right now than zombies. Superhero movies and digital kids' fare still reign supreme at the box office, but combine the world of film, television, literature, video games, and comics and it would be hard to find anything has so captured the public's imagination than a fictional scenario in which the dead reanimate and feast on the living. But why? What is it that makes that specific fear, that sort of violence, that kind of apocalyptic world so appealing? Is it the possibility for any number of wild, no-win scenarios? Is it the fantasy of escaping the doldrums of reality and finding a charge in life through the specter of almost certain death? Or is it just a fad that will pass with time with no real rhyme or reason for its success? Certainly within the greater Zombie story proliferation there are no, or at least few, deeply rooted themes and commentaries anymore. George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead remains that standard bearer of zombies-as-social-commentary. New productions, like The Walking Dead, aim for character drama and gritty reality more so than jabs at mindless consumerism. Whatever the purpose may be, zombies are a hot commodity and it doesn't appear that they're about to fall out of public favor in the near future. Enter World War Z, the latest Zombie movie to bite its way into theaters. It, too, is largely absent any sort of morality tales or sly commentary but it does deliver top-flight popcorn entertainment on a scope the Zombie genre has never before seen. Based on the book by Max Brooks, son of Filmmaker Mel Brooks, the picture delights in intensity and seamless visual effects without the gut-churning gore of The Walking Dead, making it perhaps the perfect entry point for anyone yet to become fully immersed in the Zombie entertainment pandemic. Former United Nations Investigator Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt) has retired from his career that tasked him with globetrotting through dangerous lands in favor spending time at home and living the easy life with his wife Karin (Mireille Enos) and his daughters Rachel (Abigail Hargrove) and Constance (Sterling Jerins). A day out on the streets of Philadelphia becomes the beginning of a nightmare when the family finds itself caught in the middle of an outbreak of violence that sees crazed people attacking one another at random and with shocking speed and ferocity. Gerry quickly learns that attack victims themselves turn into singleminded attackers only twelve seconds after contact. He and his family barely escape and are, ultimately, rescued with the help of Gerry's former United Nations boss and friend, Deputy Secretary-General Thierry Umutoni (Fana Mokoena). Gerry is thrust back into service and tasked with tracking down the origins of what is believed to be a "zombie" pandemic and search for a cure. In exchange for the risk, his family is afforded the safety of an overcrowded flotilla. World War Z is an adrenaline rush of a movie that creates a sense of panicked urgency and never relents. Though the film is at its absolute best in its opening act, the entirety of the production is one of a fast moving and wholly unbelievable spectacle of doom in an apocalyptic landscape that unfolds before the audience's very eyes. Director Marc Forster (Quantum of Solace) paints the action vividly and brings it incessantly. If the picture isn't in motion, it's quickly building towards motion, and it's never motion for motion's sake. Instead, there's a kinetic energy that builds within the story as heroes survive and cities fall into rapid ruin, as a search for answers is hindered, though never halted, by disaster after disaster. There's never been a Zombie movie like this before, one that's so fast, so chaotic, so threatening, so uncertain, so dangerous, so large in scope. It's as much about "how" and "why" and "what's the answer" as it is bites, attacks, gunfire, and hell almost literally spewing forth on the screen. Forster's ability to bring dramatic balance amidst the incessant chaos is the film's best asset. It's a true example of film as a roller coaster ride, this time into a world that decays as quickly as the camera can capture it and descends into the sort of madness that only the Zombie genre can offer. The picture's sense of urgency is made possible due largely to zombies that scramble about like the racetrack dog chasing the mechanical rabbit, not the death row convict marching towards the gas chamber at ten 'til midnight. These zombies are less like the classic amblers of Romero's day that make for juicy targets and fairly easy opponents provided they're not amassed right on top of their victim and more like the "raged" individuals in Danny Boyle's fantastic 28 Days Later. But the movie is much more than these track star "Zekes" that have no problem spilling over one another to reach an objective and who mindlessly rush towards any sound or most any fresh piece of meat. The picture builds a credible character atmosphere, painting Pitt and fictional family very strongly, albeit simply to not just satisfy the picture's core needs but also give it some dramatic weight and a purpose beyond mere survival or "doing the right thing." Pitt's Gerry is a sympathetic, amicable character who becomes a believable hero, not a post-apocalyptic superman. He's more a hero of the mind and stout determination and less a hero of the body or the gun, albeit the latter pieces certainly aid him in his quest to learn the secrets behind the outbreak and find a way to solve the problem. Pitt is strong in the role, a great choice and a relatable, reliable face in the midst of the incessant chaos that swirls around him almost literally from the beginning. World War Z lacks both the dramatic splendor and splattering gore of The Walking Dead. It's also absent the biting social commentary of Romero's classic films, but what it doesn't fail to feature is a robust story, fast-paced action, and insanely detailed special effects. This is huge, entertaining moviemaking done very well by a director with a vision and a keen sense of how to entertain both his core audience and outsiders dabbling in what is a fairly safe but highly intense and oftentimes exhilarating Zombie film. World War Z is built to please, and please it does as one of 2013's most agreeably exciting films. Paramount's Blu-ray 3D release of World War Z features solid video, adequate 3D, reference audio, and several extras. The 2D-only version is the better option.
[CSW] -3.2- The 2D unrated version is better for two reasons. First it has more realistic combat action and second many of the camera shots are too close-in making them harder for the eye to follow in 3D. The film is flawed but has good performances and some interesting concepts. The unrated cut of the movie certainly addresses some of the criticisms that the PG-13 theatrical release was too tame. And although it was an improvement, I found the unrated version was still not rough enough for my taste. Cast Notes: Brad Pitt (Gerry Lane), Mireille Enos (Karin Lane), Daniella Kertesz (Segen), James Badge Dale (Captain Speke), Ludi Boeken (Jurgen Warmbrunn), Matthew Fox (Parajumper), Fana Mokoena (Thierry Umutoni), David Morse (Ex-CIA Agent), Elyes Gabel (Andrew Fassbach), Peter Capaldi (W.H.O. Doctor), Pierfrancesco Favino (W.H.O. Doctor), Ruth Negga (W.H.O. Doctor), Moritz Bleibtreu (W.H.O. Doctor), Sterling Jerins (Constance Lane), Abigail Hargrove (Rachel Lane). IMDb Rating (09/15/13): 7.1/10 from 149,491 users IMDb Rating (06/23/13): 7.4/10 from 18,505 users
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