World War Z - My Movie Review

World War Z

2013PG-13

A U.N. employee races against time and fate as he travels the world trying to stop the spread of a deadly zombie pandemic. As the undead hordes gain strength across the globe, governments topple and Earth stands on the brink of total social collapse.

My Review:

If you haven’t gone to see the movie World War Z yet, hesitate no longer. This summer blockbuster has everything a good movie needs: plenty of action that keeps your eyes glued to the screen; emotional scenes that make you root for the characters; believable acting along with a plot that actually makes sense.

The movie is rated PG-13, but in my opinion, too much suspense and too many scary parts make it unsuitable for younger kids. As a fiction writer and avid movie fan, I saw most of the scary scenes coming and warned my kids to cover their eyes, but two teen boys next to me jumped from fright quite a few times.

Some claim that Brad Pitt has lost his charm, but I don’t feel that way. I loved him in this role, playing a caring father and experienced UN field scientist. Actually, I can’t remember any other disaster movie where the leading scientist cared more about his/her family than the survival of mankind itself. When an epidemic breaks out, infecting everybody who gets bitten by zombies with a fast spreading virus, the Brad Pitt character’s number-one priority is getting his family to safety instead of satisfying his own curiosity by finding the cure. Yet when government officials corner him and force him to face the facts that only those people are going to be saved who serve a purpose, he steps up to lead the investigation into the origin of the breakout and, with that, ensure his own family’s survival.

The investigation takes the audience from the USA to North Korea to Israel. We meet interesting characters, and learn bits and pieces about the virus, all parts of a puzzle that won’t be solved by the end of the movie, leaving open the opportunity for a sequel or sequels. This story has the potential to grow and branch out.  If the studio comes out with the next installment, I’ll definitely go to see what happens next.