FILMS… World War Z (2013)

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When daddy’s gotta work, he’s Pitt against the zombies…

 

One family man. One last job for the United Nations. Mission to find a cure for a zombie pandemic.

 

Pitt and his on-screen family

Peter Capaldi as a WHO doctor

World War Z Official Trailer #1 (2013) – Brad Pitt Movie HD, Movieclips Trailers and pHOTOs © Paramount Pictures

 

As a homesick Scot, the best cure is a movie featuring your hometown preferably with the accents to match. World War Z (2013) encompasses parts of the movie filmed in Glasgow (masquerading as Philadelphia) and a now almost prophetic role from a Scottish actor. As I understand the title is pretty much all the film has in common with the book, it’s allegedly based on.

It’s like watching a film titled Eddie the Eagle (2016) where you expect a biopic of the famous ski jumper but instead get a wee Disney cartoon of the adventures of a cute little eagle named Eddie – voiced by Taron Egerton – who makes friends with a wolverine. A bit like the actual Eddie the Eagle movie, but not really.

Having not read the book of the same name for the to be reviewed film, I was able to accept the World War Z film more easily. Whereas my Darlin Husband had to banish all that he loved about the book from his head first and watched it as a long-haired Brad Pitt vs the Zombies film.

The film starts with a multitude of newscasters reporting that there is a worldwide virus outbreak, and martial law is imminent. Meanwhile, Gerry Lane is making breakfast for his wife, Karin and two daughters. He’s a househusband having given up a job recently with the United Nations.

Later we see them in traffic, with these shots looking eerily familiar for many a Glaswegian. There are aerial shots of George Square and… oh where’s that statue with a traffic cone on its head? No, there’s a yellow taxi… oh well.. back to the movie.

Suddenly a horde of zombies attack, so Gerry and family steal the only (handy) transport – a camper van – leaving the Weegies Philadelphians to a grisly fate and zoom off – as you do. Darlin Husband – the zombie expert –  points out they are fast zombies, in that they run.

The zombie expert on-screen observes people take 12 seconds to change into a zombie. The family raiding a local supermarket for food and medication supplies, handily picking up flares as you do. Meanwhile on-screen the family head for Paisley Newark, where Gerry has arranged their rescue. There they take refuge with a Latino family, and Gerry’s family are advised that they will be picked up by helicopter the next day.

However, the family turn into zombies – apart from their son – which is lucky for him, as he is the only one to speak English so he can understand Gerry’s instructions. After some serious handsqueezing off-screen, the family and the Latino kid are picked up by the United Nations – thanks to an old work friend of Gerry’s. The family are taken away for safety and taken to an aircraft carrier in the middle of the ocean.

However, Gerry is given an ultimatum that returns for one last job, to help discover a possible cure for this pandemic. If he doesn’t comply, his family won’t be literally shipped out somewhere not so safe. As I assume zombies can’t swim. So just heard from Darlin Husband – ie the zombie expert and Max Brooks reader- that according to the Brooks book, zombies could literally walk on the seabed which would have made this bit a wee bit more interesting.

So for the greater good, Gerry leaves – with that quip made by the Rock in Fast and Furious 7 (2015) – saying “Daddy’s gotta work” and off he toddles…  Gerry clocks up quite a few air miles and travels to a few countries to discover the antidote.

But I’ll let you find out the rest but will say Gerry ends up – at one point in the proceedings – in Cardiff, Wales – bizarre you think…read on it’s not the last of it – and encounters a Doctor who works for the World Health Organisation – the WHO Doctor you could say, played by that Scottish actor, Peter Capaldi.

What did I make of the film? As I advised earlier rename this movie in your head if you’ve read the book. Then along with the rest of us enjoy this movie as it is, a silly Brad Pitt zombie movie. I would also advise this if you have only seen the wonderfully inspired South Park (1987-) cartoon parody with Cartman as Brad, complete with long hair and stubble.

Brad plays a good family man but boy does that man attract zombies. Everywhere Brad goes it’s a case of run, Brad, run as he accidentally wakes them from his dormant state by accidentally making some noise. Darlin Husband suggested that it could have cut out half the film, if Brad had turned up in a football stadium spoken to the crowds of zombies via a Bane mask attracted the zombies and then torched them Rambo style.

The family man Brad, was quite sweet, giving wifey a mobile. Call me anytime he said, so she called him. And then the zombies came for him.. and that’s why I shouldn’t really call Darlin Husband at work. Just in case. This reminded me of a similar scenario in the last Die Hard film, A Good Day to Die Hard (2013) film where McClane’s daughter phones at a crucial moment. Will women ever learn will be muttered by men everywhere by men watching this movie.

Also, Brad’s hair was a bit off-putting, as he ran from behind I recalled that scene in The Breakfast Club (1985) where Judd Nelson distracts Vernon. Anyway, after hearing about the book, where people of various countries are interviewed after the zombies invade, it sounded much more interesting premise.

But after hearing there is an upcoming sequel next year, which is also with Brad Pitt. This could mean we’ve watched a possible prequel. With us not knowing it. And the writers who wrote this film not knowing it. And Brad not knowing it. But with Max Brooks allegedly writing the sequel. But, if the addition of Brooks is in name only then it really is the Pitts!

 

Weeper Rating:  😦 😦  😦  /10

Handsqueeze Rating:  🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂  /10

Hulk Rating: ‎ ‎       /10