World War Z

An impressive amount of extras were required.  Oh, unless they used some kind of computer trickery - those film boffins.

Having read the reviews of WWZ, I am surprised nobody mentioned the film it most closely resembles.  Pretty obvious really.  That film is Aliens.

I think the comparison works well, because WWZ is certainly not a 'horror' film.  But, like James Cameron's 1980s gore fest, it does have strong horror elements.  Make no mistake though, we are in action thriller territory here.

The reviewers are also singing from the same hymn sheet about the film's third act which, they sing in close harmony, is rather too quiet and low budget compared to the sweeping hordes, plane crashes and city wide destructions which make up the first two thirds of the film.

Not fair really - if there had been more bangs and bucks thrown at the third act they might just as easily have said the whole thing was a one note move with no changes of pace.  It doesn't help that the whole thing was a bit of a bodge job script wise, and we all know that, so these criticisms are invited.

I liked the WHOLE film though, as you can probably tell.  It really is great Saturday night popcorn munching entertainment with a few slightly more intelligent points to be made about humans and viruses and mother nature (she's a bitch, apparently).

I was on the edge of my sofa, although maybe I was just trying to hear.  It's quite hard to pick out the dialogue in these films with all the explosions and running about - but then I am a bit mutton.

The zombies (the fast kind) are scary with memorable transformations (also deadly fast, with arched backs and violent twerking) and interesting mannerisms like chattering their teeth together when they smell flesh in the air.  Because of the terrifyingly short time it takes to 'turn', the speed with which the epidemic rages through the cities is really effective and frightening - and it's part of the ubiquitous zombie apocalypse we rarely see.  Basically, it's the expensive bit.

This concept is most effectively put to use when Brad Pitt gets some blood in his mouth and immediately runs to the edge of a building and counts, ready to throw himself off if, after ten seconds, his family start to look appetising.  It's a great scene.

So, I liked it.  It's not the like the book though - I am a fan of that and the zombies, and the story telling pace, is much slower and ultimately more effective.  One of the best innovations of the book is the uninfected humans who go bonkers and pretend to be zombies.  Might have been nice to see that in the film, but there probably wasn't time what with all the explosions and that.

Apparently human flesh tastes like chicken.  And this film was finger lickin' good. 

Sorry about that.  That really was horrific.