World War Z

World War Z came back from the dead after a nightmarish production. Unlike the creatures it features, it didn't come back wrong.

Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt) used to be a U.N. Researcher. Now, he and his family are on the run from really fast zombies. Each person they kill becomes another zombie. They get on an aircraft carrier thanks to Gerry's U.N. connections. There, the guy in charge tells Gerry to help them find the source of the zombies. Otherwise, his family goes off the boat.

Gerry's quest takes him from South Korea to Jerusalem to Wales. Each site has a good zombie presence. Gerry has to outrun the undead if he's to avoid joining their side.

Max Brook's novel, from which this story came from, was a documentary on print set after the end. This is an action film set during the end. Very dissimilar things. So, how did they do with the film they ended up making?

Its first few minutes go straight from Gerry's happy home-life to he and his family stuck in traffic as the undead debut. Through the rest of its first half-hour, the film shows society deteriorating. Even at its PG-13 rating, the world it effectively portrays is a nightmare. It's the type of world I sure don't want to live in.

Things settle down afterwards. The zombie attacks go from unsettling to thrilling. It's helped by some good visuals and an even better soundmix. There's also some displays of humor, some unintentional. Its ending, meanwhile, may strike some as bizarre, but it's redeemed by some good exposition.

One might complain of its divergences from the book. But for what it actually is, World War Z is a good thriller with an undead perspective. If these type of monsters aren't your thing, you might want to enroll in Monster's University.