World War Z - B-

Rated PG-13, 116 minutes

Flawed but intense, zombies are the best part of "World War Z"

Brad Pitt

OK, the hype surrounding the new flawed new zombie thriller "World War Z" is a bit much. It is not the zombie movie to end all zombie movies. It's murky, uneven and its lead actor a little bland, but is has some strong points too. Quite a few of them actually. Think "The Walking Dead" on speed mixed with apocalypse in which the undead are far more memorable than the living. The story revolves around United Nations employee Gerry Lane (Pitt), who traverses the world in a race against time to stop a pandemic that is toppling armies and governments and threatening to decimate humanity itself. Directed by Marc Forster ("Quantum of Solace"), "World War Z" is a stirring, intense zombie apocalyptic thriller in which the "Z" in the title is the most memorable part of the film, especially a breathless opening sequence of terror as the zombie plague quickly spreads across a dense area. When it slows down a bit, things becomes less interesting, due to an uneven script and banal human interaction that hamper the expensive, problem-filled production, seemingly beset with more zombie-like issues than you could shake a stick at since it first began filming in 2011 (script rewrites, shoots, reshoots, you name it). However, one thing that "World War Z," based on Max Brooks' 2006 best-selling novel, did get right is the zombies themselves; in this interpretation they're strong, agile, agitated by noise and quite determined for being so undead, not to mention they could run circles around any of the "The Walking Dead" crew. When they're on screen, the film pops with visual energy and intensity and much less so when the humans, led by a dullish but solid Pitt and his dirty locks, take center stage as they trot the world to determine a cure for this awful plague. In spite of a murky plot and some patchy scenes, particularly in its later chapters, "World War Z" is a vivid, but not overly violent, portrait of a zombie apocalypse in which all the excitement unsurprisingly comes from the zombies (after seeing them here, you could say the rock the place, literally). Certainly worth a look, especially for zombie enthusiasts, who'll clamor to see it faster than any of the undead.

Wes's Grade: B-