World War Z

[Tyyr]

Saw it last night with the wife.

Two things to note first. Fast zombies, so if you have a deep seated hatred of them just pass the movie. Second, it's not the book. Just purge your mind of the book before you watch this because aside from the name of the central character and the name of the book everything else was cut out.

The movie was pretty good. It's not going to overtake the remade Dawn of the Dead as my favorite zombie movie but it's well done regardless. Unlike most zombie movies where the focus is on one small group of survivors in this one it's a global focus. It's less about one small group surviving and more of trying to find a way for humanity as a whole to survive. The acting in it is servicable with probably the best performance being turned in by the shaved head Israeli female soldier who barely has five lines. The ending is not a win but a hope, though it is a bit WTFy?

The movie gets big points from me for showing people with a bit more ingenuity than just trying to shoot everything but actually armoring themselves with things like magazines. It also doesn't shy away from the Z word. No, it's used and used often and people apply that to real life. They very, very quickly figure out "Shoot them in the head." It also doesn't answer much. Bite to infection takes 10 to 12 seconds eventually so when the discussion about what it is and "virus" is thrown out there the movie quickly has someone point out that no virus acts that fast. In a way it's Max Brooks approach to a zombie movie with people not being stupid just to move the plot along.

I don't regret seeing it in the theaters. If you're a zombie fan I'd recommend seeing it, otherwise it'll be a good rental for most.

[Teaos]

Hmm I do hate fast zombies... are they like the ones in I am Legend or 28 Days latter? Or a bit more placid?

[RK_Striker_JK_5]

Well, I'm not a fan of zombie anything, but I'm legit glad you had a good time, Tyyr.

[Tyyr]

They're actual zombies, called the undead and have doctors stating that they're dead later on. In later scenes you definitely see them progressing make up wise towards the traditional zombie look. However they're the fast variety, pretty much 28 Days later style but with a more traditional look.

[Teaos]

The ones in I am Legend were almost super hero like, running through walls and jumping insane heights ect.

[Tyyr]

I know, and those were closer to vampires than zombies. They're 28 Days later style.

[Jim]

Contains spoilers, but if you open and read a thread titled after a movie or book or show you should expect spoilers and not be upset if you see any.


Just watched it yesterday. Fast zombies suck. Fast zombies might as well be vampires or werewolves. However, these aren't really zombies in the sense of classic zombies. They are more I Am Legend style. Infected with something specific taking over their body.

I watched the bonus features BEFORE watching the movie and it helped me get past SOME of the ridiculousness of the movements and style of the infected. I was able to look at them as something other than normal zombies. They were infected with a parasite that just wants to spread. That explains their bite, infect, move on "mentality" as opposed to normal zombie behavior.

My only real gripe is that physics would still need to apply. No matter what has infected the body it is relatively impossible for the human body to do what is shown in the movie. It is not nearly as insane as in I am Legend, but not that far off either. People running along side of a car and then propelling themselves 90 degrees sideways with enough force to break through the window. People jumping a good 20+ feet 45 degrees upwards to grab a helicopter. Climbing up walls like swarming ants at a speed near full run on ground. Running through the streets of Israel more like a river, even "flowing" up the sides of the walls. The human body simply can not do some of the stuff shown, even removing pain from the equation. Bones would break, joints would dislocate, muscles/ligaments/tendons would tare. Your fingers break, you hand becomes useless, you do NOT climb the mountain of bodies. Your ACL/MCL goes, you knee buckles, you don't run. Your Achilles goes, you calf rolls up like a blind, you don't run. etc etc etc. At least 28 Days kept that stuff in mind.

[McAvoy]

My guess for the fast zombie is that when they become infected they become superhuman. Bones become twice as strong, muscles and tendons become stronger etc.

[Graham Kennedy]

My guess for the fast zombie is that when they become infected they become superhuman. Bones become twice as strong, muscles and tendons become stronger etc.

At which point you may as well not bother call it a virus. It's a plague of magic.

One thing that bothered me about this and 28 Days Later both is the speed of infection. If you know anything about the way viruses work, then the idea that a virus could infect you and manifest major results in the space of 15 seconds or less is just silly. Hell, they'd actually have been better to make it a bacteria for that aspect. Still not possible, but at least closer. A bit.

[Tyyr]

There's little outside of some venoms that could hit you as fast as what happens in WWZ. Under ten seconds from bite to a new zombie running around after people. You really are looking at a magic curse at this point.

[Jim]

I think that WWZ was pushing for it to be a parasite, not a virus or bacteria.

28 Days Later people were infected with "rage" and were alive. My big issue with that move was if they have rage, then they would be fighting with each other not just uninfected people. 28 Days/Weeks was a fail in as far as thinking out the situation.

[Jim]

When you get an anesthesia injection... it only takes a few seconds to knock you out (fully affect you).

[Nutso]

I think that WWZ was pushing for it to be a parasite, not a virus or bacteria.

28 Days Later people were infected with "rage" and were alive. My big issue with that move was if they have rage, then they would be fighting with each other not just uninfected people. 28 Days/Weeks was a fail in as far as thinking out the situation.

Or at the very least, turn on each other after there are no more "unraged" people to rage on.

[Jim]

Do to the DMV... say you have 20 people in the room. 2 are actually quite agry about the situation, 18 are more "whatever" and just dealing with it ("it" being stereotypical DMV stuff). Who is most lively to get into a fight with each other? The 2 enraged people right? One angry person is much more likely to get under another angry person skin than a calm/normal person.

[Tyyr]

When you get an anesthesia injection... it only takes a few seconds to knock you out (fully affect you).

An anesthesia injection isn't causing significant biological alterations in your body. In WWZ in ten seconds someone went from bit to capable of biting and injecting whatever it is into the next person.