WORLD WAR Z (THE MOVIE); A Review

 To start with I need to point out that I am a huge fan of Max Brook's book entitled 'World War Z'. It's one of those books that enthralled me from the very first page and kept it's magic working through my brain long after I'd read the final words and placed it down. I personally think it's a work of utter brilliance.

Now when the word came out that an adaptation of this towering book was to be made I felt the fear, knowing that this would be one of those times when Hollywood rocked up, didn't like the fact that a 'cure' was found by the end reel or that they didn't all die in a shack in Alabama, and so change it completely. It took a very short time for us (the fans) to find out that was indeed the case and Max was going to have his book crapped on and Brad Pitt would deliver the world from disaster while always having perfect hair...

(GUN SHOT RINGS OUT, MY ENTHUSIASM FOR THE FILM DIES)

If you look hard you can see a cat :-)

The production was 'troubled' to say the least, the final reel was completely rewritten and reshot and the fans of the book led a campaign of pre-release hate that saw them (including me) regularly found foaming at the mouth and shouting at strangers in the street that 'THAT ISN'T WORLD WAR Z! THAT ZOMPITT! FUCK YOU!'

Having said all that I have to tell you that I LOVE IT!

I know, that should be impossible but it's really not. You see I'd come to accept that this was not going to be the film I wanted to see and so was indeed expecting a terrifyingly muddled hunk of crap. Not so! What I watched was a tight, tense, well shot movie that pushed all the right panic buttons.

We start right at the point of 'outbreak' and we get to see the zombie disease spread, there's plenty of urban panic, society fracturing, hiding from the zoms and screaming. It continues to investigation and takes you round the world and with each location we are led to a logical ending that avoids huge set piece battles for a far more tense and personal battle for survival.

Yes, there are things about Pitts character and the decisions he makes that are a bit shoddy, but on the whole this is an excellent high budget zombie flick that's bigger than the rest and for most of the time smarter too.

By widening the scope to global conflict and attitudes you avoid retreads of the usual survivors in the cabin, you also get a feeling of greater threat, more intense action sequences and a mission that may be doomed in most films but still follows all the clues to a good ending point.

I was dead against World War Z before I'd even seen it, but once I had I honestly hope we get more. There is so much more of the story to tell, that can be done so much better!

World War Z is the best Zombie film you'll see this year. I'll wager it's one of the best Zombie films you'll ever see. Leave your baggage at the door and get some!

WORLD WAR Z 8/10!

Pitt runs from the Zombies. Give him a sequel please!