Posted on 06/21/2013 3:03:29 PM PDT by dennisw
So, after all the hype and rumours of disaster, what’s World War Z like? Well, even though it’s directed by Marc Forster, it reminded me of the action films made by Roland Emmerich, which range from the nearly sublime (Independence Day) to the totally ridiculous (10,000 BC).
It’s slap-bang in the middle of that quality spectrum, round about the level of Godzilla.
Movies don’t come bigger than this, and zombie flicks usually come a lot smaller. In Shaun Of The Dead, the undead had to content themselves with snacking on a handful of British actors in a deserted pub. Here it’s the future of humanity that’s at stake. This time, instead of Simon Pegg, Brad Pitt is available to save us, and the skies are soon full of crashing helicopters, screaming jets and stunt people being sucked out of aircraft.
The film is impressive in its big set pieces. The initial panic on the streets of Philadelphia is thrilling, as is the fall of Jerusalem to the undead horde and an airborne sequence that might easily have been called Zombies On A Plane.
But the film is horrifyingly feeble when it comes to characterisation. All we know about Pitt’s Gerry is that he loves his family, but no one has given this hero any exceptional qualities. The same goes for the other characters: as uninteresting a lot as I’ve seen in a disaster movie.
We never know why the powers-that-be at the United Nations think so highly of Gerry. He’s resourceful, but doesn’t seem particularly brave, bright or knowledgeable. It is a central weakness that, without any particular expertise, he solves the mystery of how to fight the zombies before anyone else.
Negative reaction: The last 40 minutes of the film where rewritten and reshot
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Maybe they should have called the movie “World War ZZZZZZZ” as in a snooze fest.
Are you talking about Godzilla with Matthew Broderick? Yeah that one was really good. I really didn’t understand why that got so panned. It got a little stupid in parts (did we really need Matthew Broderrick showing his Broadway chops by singing “Singing in the rain?), but that Godzilla was epic.
Most of the actors/actresses (Apocalypto) were natives or native enough or Indian enough heritage to pull it off. They had natural acting ability.
It is brilliant and Mel Gibson’s best work..... Well the first two Mad Max movies were great
I just started reading the book. Haven’t seen the movie.
To me he is the best director going, but he's severely bipolar. One of the REAL bipolars out there, not one these Hollywood drug addicts who use it as an excuse by doctor shopping. And he never blamed all those outbursts he had on being bipolar which of course nobody ever mentions.
2 years after an epidemic that nearly wiped mankind off the face of the earth, a UN writer has collected some of the stories of the survivors from all over the world. Tales of human nature, insights into other cultures, of Government bureaucracy, corruption and denials that almost cost our very existence against a relentless foe. A foe that never runs, has no concept of fear or mercy; a foe that never sleeps, never feels pain, remorse, fatigue, heat or cold - and how humanity came back from the brink.
It's a foolproof script ... but leave it to Hollywood to wreck a story that has won acclaim all on it's own. I have read the book several times - there are lessons to be learned in that book; lessons about what governments WILL do, for self-preservation, what greed will do, how greed and corruption will work together without a thought to consequence. Zombies? They are just the antagonist - the REAL enemy is the living.
The reviewer is a moron who seems to believe that if he pretends something doesn't exist, it never did.
Wow...was there another Superman movie released this summer? Because what you’re describing couldn’t have been “Man of Steel.” That movie sucked big time.
Just saw WWZ wife and I both liked it.Had sleepy horror movie feel to it,more realistic than most movies weve seen.Other than glorifying the UN and WHO we felt it was scary in a realistic way.I reccomend it.
I’m looking forward to Copperhead. Not sure of the release date, probably over the 4th since it’s about the Civil War - I’m thinking in honor of Gettysburg.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2404555/
It’s the perfect movie, eating popcorn when its snowing out side on a Saturday afternoon. ;-)
I thought “Apocalypto” was an absorbing, exciting, and amazing film.
I was immensely impressed by the courage and tenacity of the Woman GIVING BIRTH in a huge pit that was rapidly filling with water...YIKES!!!!
And I had NO trouble following the Nahuatl dialogue and subtitles. There was so much action that the story was obvious without the subs.
Just a note regarding the demographics...I am female, part American Indian, and a Senior Citizen! LOL!
I caught the “eclipse thing” too.
Islam was as much a pain in the a$$ then as it is now.
You're joking, right?!
If they had named the monster Iguanadon instead of Godzilla, I could have saved the money I spent taking my family to see it.
I’m waiting for ZOMBIES VS. VAMPIRES.
That was hokey as all get out! But I love hokey and I loved the movie too.......I suspect I'm going to like WW-Z.....
When it comes to Zombie movies, I'm thinking zombies, killings and survival, not character development or oscar nominations...........
The only thing which saved Independence Day was a likable cast.
“When it comes to Zombie movies, I’m thinking zombies, killings and survival, not character development or oscar nominations”
I’m a fan of The Walking Dead. Pretty sure WW Z won’t come close. But I’m still interested.
“Copperhead” is terrific. Directed by Ron Maxwell, who directed the classic “Gettysburg.”
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