World War Z

Dr_Rez · 09-05-2013, 09:09 PM

What do you think?

I have heard so much crap regarding every aspect of this movie, and went into it thinking it would be a turd. I have watched probably 100 zombie movies or more and while no expert I certainly have mind reference to great zombie films. I loved this movie. The special effects were used the perfect amount, not overdone...and the story was a different twist than your average run of the mill zombie flick. I will never understand why people demand that fictional creatures (zombies) should always behave and react the same in very movie...gets boring. Pitt as usual did a fantastic job and while the story was hardly a twisted masterpiece it certainly captured what it needed to.

djchameleon · 09-05-2013, 09:42 PM

The only people that thought it was a turd/crap are the ones that read the book and felt like they should have named the movie something else because it didn't touch on anything from the book at all.

I'm with you on the loving it part. I actually went to see it three times while it was in the theaters still.

**Exo** · 09-05-2013, 10:07 PM

I reviewed this movie on my website...

Quote:

This movie was ass.

I realized in the opening credits that I wasn’t going to like this movie. Why?

Screenplay by Damon Lindelof.

Mr. Lindelof, I applaud you for trying. I really do. You have a great job where you get to write about whatever pops into you head in order to bring it to million for enjoyment. Now I need you to stop. Please stop. I understand that you didn’t write this alone but you had part in it and that’s why I’m mad at you.

Cowboys and Aliens. Sh*t
Prometheus. Sh*t, albeit visually stunning and acted wonderfully by Michael Fassbender and Naomi Rapace.
Star Trek : Into Darkness. Sh*t
World War Z. Sh*t

Stop it.

Now that I’m done sounding like a jerk, let me explain a few things. Zombie movies have been being made for over forty years. In that span we have seen some brilliant ones (Dawn of the Dead, Return of the Dead) and some not so brilliant (Anything Romero has done since and this film). It confuses me so much that after forty years and a flat out amazing book by Max Brooks that a zombie movie with such a huge budget could turn out so flat and empty. By the way, I went into this film completely erasing my memory of the book. The two are two different mediums and entities. I am in no way pissed off that the movie was nothing like the book. I expected it. I did not however expect a script that seemed like it was written by a fourteen year old who just saw the remake of Dawn of the Dead for the first time. The film had no drive, no character development, and no point. They were here and a bad thing happened so now we’re here. Why? I don’t have any clue. There was no actual explanation for many of the actions, just simple statements of intent. This is a problem that Mr. Lindelof has. He has an idea and wants so bad to get to the finish line that he forgets to give the script any meat in the middle. I could have walked out and came back in an hour and not have missed much. They didn’t go into how zombies work. They didn’t explain it really at all. Zombies are intricate beings that can be explained in a few simple statements and none of them were made in this film. I could have been told they all had a bad case of strep throat and it would have been just as believable. I was just very disappointed.

WARNING : MINOR SPOILER THAT’S NOT EVEN A SPOILER CAUSE IT’S IN THE TRAILER

There is a scene on an airplane. A zombie comes and decides to ruin **** in the coach area. Nobody in first class seems to be aware that just behind them is a screaming pack of animals trying to fend off a screaming pack of animals. It’s chaos. Brad Pitt wakes up from a stupid nightmare he’s having and thinks something is wrong. It is not until he reaches the THIN PAPER OF A DIVIDER between first class and coach that it’s apparent that there is savage murder happening. I want to know where to get that curtain because apparently it blacks out sound better than an airlock at NASA.

Stupid.

Now for the zombies. I hate fast zombies. They’re completely ass backwards to what zombies are supposed to be. Even in their own right they just look stupid. The fact that this movie is PG-13 and that a heavy dose of CGI was used 100% of the time didn’t help matters. They were laughable at times. The theater laughed at them. This is not the desired effect that zombies should have on the viewer. It’s a shame. I actually feel sad because I don’t know if I’m going to see a true to science zombie for quite some time.

I hope I don’t sound like an ass because I really wanted to like this movie. The first twenty minutes were actually pretty enjoyable but the whole thing just took a nosedive and ended up being a bore and a chore to get through. The end of the film was just so weak and anticlimactic. Hell, it didn’t even make much sense but I won’t spoil the fun. There’s no reason to pay twelve dollars to see this film. Wait until it comes out on DVD and only watch it when you have nothing else better to watch or you’re doing your taxes. This is the only way your time will not be wasted.

I did not love it.

Dr_Rez · 09-05-2013, 10:12 PM

Why does every movie need to have character development? This movie was about a specific chain of events, not the growing or changing of characters. Time and place.

So one scene was not believable on the plane. Not a big deal.

Lastly and most important...What zombies are supposed to be?? They are entirely fictional characters made up for entertainment. Why should every movie have the exact same zombies, that would be incredibly boring over and over again.The CGI seemed extremely well done to me. How do you figure they used it too much??

**Exo** · 09-05-2013, 11:15 PM

Quote:

Why does every movie need to have character development? This movie was about a specific chain of events, not the growing or changing of characters. Time and place.

Really? This isn't Pacific Rim. This isn't a movie marketed as as "just a bunch of zombies f*cking **** up". Pacific Rim was marketed as a movie about robots fighting monsters. That is a film that I would agree with you where character development doesn't really matter as much. World War Z however had less character development than Pacific Rim. Brad Pitt's family had no reason being in the film because I didn't give a sh*t about them. The phone calls that he got were completely pointless because I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THESE PEOPLE. THAT IS WHAT CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT IS FOR. If I don't care about the characters in the movie, why the hell am I going to care about what happens in the movie. If you say character development doesn't matter then you need to just come out and say that the only reason to like this movie is because there's like a bunch of cool zombie scenes and stuff.

Also, the "chain of events" was written so poorly. Hey let's go to this country. Oh I have to go here? Okay, let's go here. Oh sh*t can't stay here. Lets go here. It played out like a bad video game.

Quote:

So one scene was not believable on the plane. Not a big deal.

It completely took me out of the movie. Plus, the aftermath of the plane event was also bonkers are stupid.

Quote:

Lastly and most important...What zombies are supposed to be?? They are entirely fictional characters made up for entertainment. Why should every movie have the exact same zombies, that would be incredibly boring over and over again.The CGI seemed extremely well done to me. How do you figure they used it too much??

A zombie is not a war machine. A zombie does not run at 30 mph or climb helicopters. Crazy fast zombies do not work unless you're making a film that does not call them zombies. 28 Days Later got away with this because they never claimed that the people chasing them were zombies. They were infected with rage. A zombie has no other functions other than feeding. It does not have the capacity to use any other function than walking. It's stupid. Also, I'll always take the real thing over CGI. When I can tell that what I'm looking at is computer generated it loses all of its effect.

**Scarlett O'Hara** · 09-05-2013, 11:42 PM

You are a great reviewer Exo. I haven't seen the movie but I will watch it when there's nothing else on. I'm not really a big zombie fan, they freak me out!

djchameleon · 09-06-2013, 12:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Exoskeletal

A zombie is not a war machine. A zombie does not run at 30 mph or climb helicopters. Crazy fast zombies do not work unless you're making a film that does not call them zombies. 28 Days Later got away with this because they never claimed that the people chasing them were zombies. They were infected with rage. A zombie has no other functions other than feeding. It does not have the capacity to use any other function than walking. It's stupid. Also, I'll always take the real thing over CGI. When I can tell that what I'm looking at is computer generated it loses all of its effect.

You still missed the point that Rez was making. You are so immersed into the mythos of what a zombie is "supposed" to be. It's still a fictional creation and it doesn't always have to rely on the norm of what zombies have been doing for decades.

If I want to create a story where zombies are super human fighting machines that fly, run at 200 mph and straight wreck shit. I will and I will proceed to call them zombies because I motherfucking can.

Another thing, I'm tired of people constantly bitching about CGI. CGI is the natural progression of merging technology with film. Practical effects has it's place and so does CGI. They can both live in the same world. All these anti-CGI rants that people go on make me sick. Not everything needs to be immersed in realness.

Dr_Rez · 09-06-2013, 06:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Exoskeletal

Really? This isn't Pacific Rim. This isn't a movie marketed as as "just a bunch of zombies f*cking **** up". Pacific Rim was marketed as a movie about robots fighting monsters. That is a film that I would agree with you where character development doesn't really matter as much. World War Z however had less character development than Pacific Rim. Brad Pitt's family had no reason being in the film because I didn't give a sh*t about them. The phone calls that he got were completely pointless because I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THESE PEOPLE. THAT IS WHAT CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT IS FOR. If I don't care about the characters in the movie, why the hell am I going to care about what happens in the movie. If you say character development doesn't matter then you need to just come out and say that the only reason to like this movie is because there's like a bunch of cool zombie scenes and stuff.

Your view of how a movie should play out seems one dimensional. Why can we not have a movie NOT based around the characters experience and focusing on the linear chain of events going on in the world around them? The family was there for the simple reason of showing how few people were actually kept safe and how only the uber elite and useful were given sanctuary.

Also, the "chain of events" was written so poorly. Hey let's go to this country. Oh I have to go here? Okay, let's go here. Oh sh*t can't stay here. Lets go here. It played out like a bad video game.

It completely took me out of the movie. Plus, the aftermath of the plane event was also bonkers are stupid.

Stupid? It is exactly what happens when trying to find the root of a virus/disease. They go around and find patient 0.

A zombie is not a war machine. A zombie does not run at 30 mph or climb helicopters. Crazy fast zombies do not work unless you're making a film that does not call them zombies. 28 Days Later got away with this because they never claimed that the people chasing them were zombies. They were infected with rage. A zombie has no other functions other than feeding. It does not have the capacity to use any other function than walking. It's stupid. Also, I'll always take the real thing over CGI. When I can tell that what I'm looking at is computer generated it loses all of its effect.

As DJ said so what....If you want slow zombies without CGI go watch the 50 movies made 30 years ago that all follow these same guidelines. You are watching a FICTIONAL MADE UP STORY, so they can do whatever the hell people want them to, and be called whatever the hell people want. It is 2013 get used to it, technology changes and there will only be more of it, not less as time goes on.

.

**Exo** · 09-06-2013, 11:58 AM

Unless I'm watching a full animation movie I can't get over the fact that CGI looks fake to me and that it stands out completely from the real people next to it. I'm not going to jump on board the CGI train just because it's now the norm in films. It doesn't look good to me. It never has. It never will. I won't trash a movie just because of bad CGI if it has other things going for it but the bad CGI zombies were worse than the ones in I Am Legend and that film came out almost six years ago.

I watch movies to be transported to another place and be immersed in another world for two hours. The effect is lost when I find what I'm looking at to be fake and stupid.

And for the zombie debate. I know they're fictional characters. I know that being fictional characters leaves them up to interpretation and artistic manipulation. I'm not saying it's a rule that they have to be slow but when you market a film based on a book that was the most realistic telling of what zombies would actually be like then I expect a little more than full stampeding death machines running at 40 mph and hitting vehicles like they're the f*cking Juggernaut. None of it was believable. Slow zombies are believable which is why I'm afraid of them.

Dr_Rez · 09-06-2013, 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Exoskeletal

Unless I'm watching a full animation movie I can't get over the fact that CGI looks fake to me and that it stands out completely from the real people next to it. I'm not going to jump on board the CGI train just because it's now the norm in films. It doesn't look good to me. It never has. It never will. I won't trash a movie just because of bad CGI if it has other things going for it but the bad CGI zombies were worse than the ones in I Am Legend and that film came out almost six years ago.

I see how you could think fake..since it is..but I love this decades CGI animation. Movie sucked but the new Alice In Wonderland is a great example of the kind of stuff I like when it comes to effects. I look at it as telling more than a real life story, but turning it into art as well.

I watch movies to be transported to another place and be immersed in another world for two hours. The effect is lost when I find what I'm looking at to be fake and stupid.

Totally, same here, I guess we just have different opinions on it. I love CGI as long as it isnt used as an excuse for no storyline.

And for the zombie debate. I know they're fictional characters. I know that being fictional characters leaves them up to interpretation and artistic manipulation. I'm not saying it's a rule that they have to be slow but when you market a film based on a book that was the most realistic telling of what zombies would actually be like then I expect a little more than full stampeding death machines running at 40 mph and hitting vehicles like they're the f*cking Juggernaut. None of it was believable. Slow zombies are believable which is why I'm afraid of them.

Your last sentence is a great point. And while my favorite zombie movies are like you explained, less CGI and slow believable zombies I still do enjoy the variety. Keep in mind this is a mainstream film that needs to garner a larger audience, I dont think old school zombies without CGI would allow that.

.

09-05-2013, 09:09 PM	#1 (permalink)
Dr_Rez Registered Jimmy Rustler Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: USA Posts: 5,361	World War Z What do you think? I have heard so much crap regarding every aspect of this movie, and went into it thinking it would be a turd. I have watched probably 100 zombie movies or more and while no expert I certainly have mind reference to great zombie films. I loved this movie. The special effects were used the perfect amount, not overdone...and the story was a different twist than your average run of the mill zombie flick. I will never understand why people demand that fictional creatures (zombies) should always behave and react the same in very movie...gets boring. Pitt as usual did a fantastic job and while the story was hardly a twisted masterpiece it certainly captured what it needed to. __________________ Best chance of losing virginity is in prison crew Always Checks Credentials Crew nba > nfl crew Shave one of my legs to pretend its a girl in my bed crew

09-05-2013, 10:12 PM	#4 (permalink)
Dr_Rez Registered Jimmy Rustler Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: USA Posts: 5,361	Why does every movie need to have character development? This movie was about a specific chain of events, not the growing or changing of characters. Time and place. So one scene was not believable on the plane. Not a big deal. Lastly and most important...What zombies are supposed to be?? They are entirely fictional characters made up for entertainment. Why should every movie have the exact same zombies, that would be incredibly boring over and over again.The CGI seemed extremely well done to me. How do you figure they used it too much?? __________________ Best chance of losing virginity is in prison crew Always Checks Credentials Crew nba > nfl crew Shave one of my legs to pretend its a girl in my bed crew

09-05-2013, 11:42 PM	#6 (permalink)
Scarlett O'Hara Make it so Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 6,181	You are a great reviewer Exo. I haven't seen the movie but I will watch it when there's nothing else on. I'm not really a big zombie fan, they freak me out! __________________ "Elph is truly an enfant terrible of the forum, bless and curse him" - Marie, Queen of Thots

09-06-2013, 11:58 AM	#9 (permalink)
Exo All day jazz and biscuits Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: NJ Posts: 7,359	Unless I'm watching a full animation movie I can't get over the fact that CGI looks fake to me and that it stands out completely from the real people next to it. I'm not going to jump on board the CGI train just because it's now the norm in films. It doesn't look good to me. It never has. It never will. I won't trash a movie just because of bad CGI if it has other things going for it but the bad CGI zombies were worse than the ones in I Am Legend and that film came out almost six years ago. I watch movies to be transported to another place and be immersed in another world for two hours. The effect is lost when I find what I'm looking at to be fake and stupid. And for the zombie debate. I know they're fictional characters. I know that being fictional characters leaves them up to interpretation and artistic manipulation. I'm not saying it's a rule that they have to be slow but when you market a film based on a book that was the most realistic telling of what zombies would actually be like then I expect a little more than full stampeding death machines running at 40 mph and hitting vehicles like they're the fcking Juggernaut. None of it was believable. Slow zombies are believable which is why I'm afraid of them. __________________ LastFM SUPREME POO BAH MODERATOR EXTRAORDINAIRE*