World War Z - Movie Review

[vontar]

Haven't read the book, but plan to now that I know it's a whole lot more than the movie.

 

Fast Z's are scarier, but I agree that it wasn't as edgy as I had hoped.

 

**SPOILER ALERT***

 

They never explained why some corner of Nova Scotia (or New Brunswick?) was a safe place to put refugees. I would have thought an island would have been better. Maybe it was an island off the coast of NB or NS. I would think a warmer island off the coast of the US would have been a better choice. Or even better, let's all go to Fiji.

 

 

Spoiler alert remains in effect.

Well, the Zs in the book are the slow type, allot like the Walking Dead zombies.

 

Also in the book far North was safer due to cold weather, the Z's would freeze and stop moving (until they thaw out.)

 

Also, warm islands may not be very safe due to many zombies went over board from ships and randomly find they way to shore in the book.  However Cuba was mostly safe place in the book as they prepared with limited flights and enough military to defend the coast line.

[Guest Hound]

Did you guys watch the same movie as me? I never read the book, but thought the movie was awesome. Nothing really insulted me, the action stayed constant, plenty of cool characters revolving in and out, even bad-ass chicks (the Israeli soldiers) and an ending that wasn't insulting.

 

I liked the reference toward why you keep your index finger pointed instead of on the trigger and how the next time you see the pointed finger, it's on a clearly visible Armalite receiver.

 

I also liked the lack of clichés like the underdog always coming through. In every Stephen King-type book/movie it starts with, lets say 30 special forces commandos, the quadriplegic autistic kid and their mental-baggage-consumed caregiver. Five minutes later all the commandos are dead and the plot sits on the courage of the two people bound to the wheelchair. Common-sense tells you that's bull. In this movie, all the survivors were bad-asses serious about making it through the turmoil and surviving.

 

Everybody who's read the book will scoff at the movie to prove they read the book. If you're yelling at the screen during Harry Potter because they left out something from the book, you're not impressing me, you're making me pity you for being so pathetic as to be an adult that reads Harry Potter. Then, of course, I think of how pathetic I am for watching Harry Potter in the same theater as you.

 

The EvilDead remake was an alright movie by itself, but sucked compared to original. I know people will say that about all remakes (Hills Have Eyes, Texas Chainsaw, Halloween, etc.) but this critique is actually true.

 

The only video game-based movie that wasn't a total disappointment was Hitman. But then again, I've never played Hitman.

Comparing WWZ and its movie with Harry Potter and their movies is not a fair comparison by ANY means.  If I had to compare what they did with world war z it would be as if the Hitman movie was about a female samarai who fought an onslaught of ninjas so she can get home in time to do some house chores before diner.   Leaves you with that sense of why would they even use that title for this.  Im not saying its a bad movie but they really just needed to name it something else.  Also read the book.  It is a fantastic read (warning the first quarter of the book is a little slow)

[Guest Hound]

I thought I had read all of Stephen King's books.  I must have missed this one.

 

The original Evil Dead is great partly because it was filmed right here in east Tennessee!  I live just a couple of miles from the location of the cabin and my recreational (range) property is just up the road about a mile from the "hitch-hiking fisherman" scene location.  

 

After hearing some of the reviews, I am looking forward to seeing World War Z...when it comes out on cable. 

It was?!?!?  Where was this?? I may need to make a pilgrimage to this location fairly soon!

[vontar]

It was?!?!?  Where was this?? I may need to make a pilgrimage to this location fairly soon!

Evil Dead was filmed near Morristown.

 

Yes I knew that before looking it up.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morristown,_Tennessee

Edited June 30, 2013 by vontar

[Clod Stomper]

Haven't seen the new one, but neither of the original Evil Dead movies can beat the sequel "Army of Darkness".

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_d4I_VYDj8

 

Probably my favorite movie quote ever, BTW.

Edited June 30, 2013 by Clod Stomper

[jgradyc]

I haven't seen the movie yet. I don't go to movies when the theatre is basically a killing field. I'll wait until only a handful of people are in each showing.

 

I am reading the book right now. I'm a little more than half way through. It's snippets of what's happening all over the world told in 3-6 pages each. There's no real protagonist so far... just the guy conducting the interviews.

 

The writing is good... nothing distracts from the story. The characters are believable. So far, only one deus ex machina (a seemingly unsolvable problem is suddenly and abruptly resolved, with the contrived and unexpected intervention of some new event, character, ability, or object). I hate those in a book, but in this case, it's okay. It involves a helicopter rescue, for those who are wondering. Most of the short stories are action oriented, so the book is reasonably entertaining.

[NoBanStan]

I watched the movie yesterday. I'm a "the book was better" guy, but in this case, I haven't read the book.

 

I do feel like the major action scenes were all shown in the trailers, but there's certainly more than that. Brad did a good job I thought. It's certainly worth watching.

 

The thing I left the theatre saying though was "Man, Elysium looks GOOD".

[vontar]

I am with NoBanStan on Elysium looks good.

[Guest copperhead_1911]

I hate it when zombie movies do not play by the rules

 

Slow moving, unintelligent voters ( Freudian slip) er I mean zombies that go down with one shot to the head.

[Spiffy]

It was a good Zombie movie. Brad Pitt did a great job acting and the story was decent enough that it held your attention. I had already came to terms with the fact that it wouldn't be the book. I would like to see them make more films even if it's several movies to show the different parts of the book now. Kinda like Interview with the vampire style.

[TMF]

All this talk makes me want to read the book again. It was that good. It's one of those books that you wish had a couple hundred more pages to it. Of course I read it immediately following Water for Elephants, so I may have been slightly biased to how good WWZ was by comparison.

[Erik88]

The movies was NOTHING like the book. I told my GF after the show that other than the title, nothing was the same. Apparently I'm not alone in this thought.

 

The movie was decent but I was disappointed with how quickly it ended.

[BigK]

It was a good movie and had me sitting on the edge of my seat. BUT as a fan of the book, they should've called it something else. STILL, give credit where credit is due, good movie..... BUT THEY DIDN'T DO THE BATTLE OF YONKERS!!!!!!! :cry:

I agree, overall good movie. We as the movie-consuming public have to get over this "it's not like the book" thing. You'll never find a good producer/director that wants to work on a film where there's no creative freedom. If all movies were rigid copies of the book, there'd be no great directors, only good/bad authors.

I, for one, am thankful the movie wasn't like the book. The book was cool and I like the perspectives, but that would make for a terrible and boring translation to film. The way they did it in the film was pretty darn good. I saw it two weekends in a row...once with friends, once with family. I didn't hear any complaints from either group on the way out of the theater.

I'm looking forward to WWZ II to see the sweeping crews do battle with the zeds. Also, to see the zeds in the cold and/or water. Mostly the Battle of Yonkers, though. Leaving it out of the first one gives me something to look forward to. Edited July 18, 2013 by BigK

[gnmwilliams]

Thought it was a good stand alone zombie movie but didn't deserve to be based on the book.

[Spiffy]

Haven't read the book, but plan to now that I know it's a whole lot more than the movie.

 

 

 They didn't just pop up over night. There was a long run up to the whole ZOMG ZOMBIES! Quick reaction to the threat and a nation wide effort resulted in a big wall really quick since they all kinda knew what it was they were building and why.

[Spiffy]

I watched the movie yesterday. I'm a "the book was better" guy, but in this case, I haven't read the book.

 

I do feel like the major action scenes were all shown in the trailers, but there's certainly more than that. Brad did a good job I thought. It's certainly worth watching.

 

The thing I left the theatre saying though was "Man, Elysium looks GOOD".

 

I'm sure Obama's buddy Matt Damon will appericate your $$$. Looks like a bad Cyborg movie to me.

[Spiffy]

I agree, overall good movie. We as the movie-consuming public have to get over this "it's not like the book" thing. You'll never find a good producer/director that wants to work on a film where there's no creative freedom. If all movies were rigid copies of the book, there'd be no great directors, only good/bad authors.

I, for one, am thankful the movie wasn't like the book. The book was cool and I like the perspectives, but that would make for a terrible and boring translation to film. The way they did it in the film was pretty darn good. I saw it two weekends in a row...once with friends, once with family. I didn't hear any complaints from either group on the way out of the theater.

I'm looking forward to WWZ II to see the sweeping crews do battle with the zeds. Also, to see the zeds in the cold and/or water. Mostly the Battle of Yonkers, though. Leaving it out of the first one gives me something to look forward to.

 

LOTRs was pretty close. 

 

I'm with you on the WWZ 2 and 3.  There is sooo many good stories in the book that they could weave a really good series and milk it for all it's worth. And it will be a million times better than Jason or Freddy part 2000000000.

[NoBanStan]

I'm sure Obama's buddy Matt Damon will appericate your $$$. Looks like a bad Cyborg movie to me.

 

He was rich before he made that movie and he'll be rich afterwards. I wouldn't buy a ticket to listen to him rattle off his terrible political views... but I will buy a ticket to watch this movie. I studied 3D modeling and animation in college. It would have been my career but life happened and I had to switch gears and enter the world of systems administration. But I can still appreciate the work required to produce good quality CGI. I've just come to terms with the idea that the holywoodites will always have poor/unrealistic views on life and liberty.

[whitewolf001]

He was rich before he made that movie and he'll be rich afterwards. I wouldn't buy a ticket to listen to him rattle off his terrible political views... but I will buy a ticket to watch this movie. I studied 3D modeling and animation in college. It would have been my career but life happened and I had to switch gears and enter the world of systems administration. But I can still appreciate the work required to produce good quality CGI. I've just come to terms with the idea that the holywoodites will always have poor/unrealistic views on life and liberty.

 

Nah, they're zombies too, just zombies in the spotlight.

[Defender]

Reading the book now...liking it more than the movie!

[TMF]

Just watched the movie. Hard to swallow the "Brad Pitt is humanity's last hope" garbage. It's easier to believe in zombies than the series of impossible scenarios he manages to be the near sole survivor of along with him knowing more about the infection than every disease research center in the world despite not being a medical professional.

I imagine Max Brooks got knee walking drunk after watching the final cut of this.

[Hershmeister]

Just watched the movie. Hard to swallow the "Brad Pitt is humanity's last hope" garbage. It's easier to believe in zombies than the series of impossible scenarios he manages to be the near sole survivor of along with him knowing more about the infection than every disease research center in the world despite not being a medical professional.

I imagine Max Brooks got knee walking drunk after watching the final cut of this.

I know a lot of ladies who would disagree. ;)

[austin7.62]

I'm sure Obama's buddy Matt Damon will appericate your $$$. Looks like a bad Cyborg movie to me.

"Guns freak him out."

Douche!

[Chris]

Decent zombie movie... nothing new or great, but it didn't suck. It had NOTHING to do with the book, which if you like zombies is freaking awesome.

[TMF]

Finally!  Honest trailers has done WWZ!  You must watch this; it is obligatory for participating in this thread. 

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2cS5Fv5xIQ