© 2013 Ray Wong
Does the world needs another apocalyptic zombie movie, aka Dawn of the Dead, 28 Days Later, The Walking Dead… (and the list goes on). Apparently, Hollywood thinks so. Granted, World War Z is based on Max (son of Mel) Brooks's phenomenal bestseller that installed many fresh ideas into the genre.
Gerry (Brad Pitt) is an ex-UN special operator who is now a stay-at-home dad with wife Karin (Mireille Enos) and two young daughters. On their way to school and work in Philadelphia, all Hell breaks loose when people start to go crazy with rabies-like symptoms and attack and kill others. Gerry also observes that it takes only 12 seconds for the dead to "turn."
Surviving the disaster is only the beginning. After Gerry and his family are rescued, he is ordered to help an investigating team to try to find out the origin of the outbreak, in hopes of finding a vaccine. Thus starts Gerry's globe-trotting while trying to be one step ahead of the "affected." His journey takes him to North Korea, Jerusalem, and India, but nothing turns up.
Instead Gerry continues to find himself in dangerous situations where human nature is in direct conflict with mother nature, and more and more people are being turned. What Gerry discovers is that the zombies are dormant by nature unless provoked by stimuli such as sound and movement. And one clue after another, Gerry finally realizes the virus's weakness; and with an act of self-sacrifice, Gerry needs to prove himself right once and for all so he can save mankind.
Brad Pitt (The Moneyball) is in fine form. The lines and weathered face of this superstar somehow add charisma and wisdom to the characters he plays, and Pitt's portrayal of Gerry is multi-dimensional and deeply affecting. Mireille Enos (Gangster Squad) is solid as Gerry's determined and resourceful wife. They make a good on-screen team and we believe that they're two loving parents whose top priority is to keep their family safe.
French actress Daniella Kertesz (Loving Anna) impresses as Segen, a soldier whose job is to protect Gerry, and who ends up being part of Gerry's superb companion. The supporting team does great work here all around, including James Badge Dale (Iron Man 3) in an heroic turn as Captain Speke, Matthew Fox (Speed Racer) as a parajumper, and David Morse (The Odd Life of Timothy Green) as a bizarre ex-CIA agent.
Based on Max Brooks's best-selling novel, the script of this new zombie romp is written by Matthew Michael Carnahan, Drew Goodard, and Lost's Damon Lindelof. The story itself isn't really all that original -- what the writers have brought to the genre is a new twist and a slew of believable characters that focus on one man and his family. Most zombie movies focus on one or two set pieces and a specific location, but World War Z takes us on trip to let us witness the horror on a global scale. The plot opens with the usual mayhem and doom, but quickly turns into one man's quest to find an answer.
Still, one cannot argue that the genre is showing its age and fatigue. Everything does begin to look derivative, no matter how "fresh" the writers want to make it. The idea that zombies move in lightening fast pace and swarm like locusts is interesting and, quite honestly, breathtaking to watch. But everything else does seem to have that "been there, done that" feel.
So it all comes down to the execution. The cast has a done a great job, for sure. Marc Forster's (Quantum of Solace) track record has been spotty. Somehow the idea that Finding Neverland's director is doing a zombie movie is an odd one, but I think Forster rose to the occasion and delivered one hell of a nail-biter. The opening sequence is chaotic, frightening, suspenseful, and powerful. There are some duller moments, of course, but over all the pacing is good. Some of the set pieces are phenomenal to watch, such as one of the most exhilarating plane crashes on screen. Some may argue that the camerawork could be better, but I had no problem with his choices. It adds to the immediacy and urgency of the sequences. It's an exciting movie to watch.
Despite its derivative story and the limitation of the genre itself, World War Z offers something new and fresh, and with its effective cast headed by a strong Brad Pitt, and the capable direction of Marc Forster, it is a movie that is worth watching, even if it doesn't solve any world problems, per se.
Stars: Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos, Daniella Kertesz, James Badge Dale, David Morse, Matthew Fox, Ludi Boeken
Director: Marc Forster
Writers: Matthew Michael Carnahan, Drew Goodard, Damon Lindelof (based on novel by Max Brooks)
Distributor: Paramount
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for intense frightening sequences, violence and disturbing images
Running Time: 116 minutes
Ratings:
Script - 7
Performance - 8
Direction - 7
Cinematography - 9
Music/Sound - 8
Editing - 7
Production - 9
Total - 7.5 out of 10.0
© 2012 Ray Wong
As the title suggests, The Impossible chronicles the ordeal of a family during the 2004 Tsunami disaster in Southeast Asia, and how they defied the impossible odds to survive and find one another.
Henry (Ewan McGregor), Maria (Naomi Watts) and their three sons Lucas (Tom Holland), Thomas (Samuel Joslin) and Simon (Oaklee Pendergast) are vacationing in Thailand from Japan for the holidays. Maria has temporarily quit her job as a doctor to care for the three boys, while Henry is on the verge of losing his lucrative job. But all of their problems seem to suddenly disappear as they face the unthinkable when a tsunami hits their vacation villas.
Maria is seriously hurt but manages to reunite with Lucas. Together they help each other survive until nearby villagers rescue them. Soon, they are taken to a local hospital which is teeming with injured survivors. It's when they realize how much the tsunami has destroyed. Hundreds of thousands of people, including visitors like them, have their lives completely changed. Meanwhile, Maria and Lucas believe that Henry and the other two boys are dead. Clinging to each other, they must keep on living as Maria's injury is threatening her life.
Meanwhile, Henry and the boys have survived, against all odds. But Henry holds on the belief that Maria and Lucas are still alive, and he sends the boys to the mountain shelter while looking for his wife and oldest son. The search seems impossible, and the odds of ever finding them -- alive, no less -- become more and more impossible as days pass.
Naomi Watts (J. Edgar) gives a tour-de-force performance as Maria. Her suffering is difficult to watch, and often she has no dialogue, just her facial expressions and body languages to convey her pain, anguish, and love for Lucas. It is a tremendous performance. Ewan McGregor (Salmon Fishing in the Yemens) does a good job, too, but in an odd way his is the least impressive.
Most impressive is Tom Holland (The Secret World of Arrietty) as Lucas. The boy has some serious acting chops and holds his own against Naomi Watts, as they share the most screen time together. The chemistry between the two is incredible, making us believe in the bond between them as mother and son. The two other boys, Samuel Joslin and Oaklee Pendergast, also impress with their innocent and no-frill performances that just make our heart ache. Geraldine Chaplin (The Orphanage) lends her regal appearance in a heartfelt scene.
Written by Sergio Sanchez (The End) based on the true story of the Belon's family, the story is rather straightforward and heavy on coincidences. The filmmakers understand how implausible it may seem, and rely on our suspension of disbelief that it is all about fate. How one can survive something like that -- not to mention the entire family. How impossible it is for the family to reunite after being separated by such devastation. The theme is all about fate and coincidence, and they play up some of the impossible events, mostly due to the limit of trying to tell the story in such a short time.
The lack of significant dialogue is offset by many sequences of intensely emotional scenes and actions. Under Bayona's (The Orphanage) direction, the movie is gripping, intense and frightening. The tsunami scenes are some of the most realistic I have ever seen, and they truly impress. While sometimes overtly sentimental and sappy (a line that Bayona crosses even as the story itself is emotional -- I think he could have toned that down without sacrificing the emotional impact), the film includes many haunting images with stunning performances from the stars as well as the background actors.
The Impossible is an emotionally gripping, intense story that hits us with the full force of tsunami waves. Despite its occasionally sentimental flaws, it is impossible not to be affected by this movie.
Stars: Ewan McGregor, Naomi Watts, Geraldine Chaplin, Tom Holland, Martha Etura, Samuel Joslin, Oaklee Pendergast
Director: Juan Antonio Bayona
Writers: Sergio G. Sanchez (based on Maria Belon's story)
Distributor: Summit
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for intense realistic disaster sequences, brief nudity
Running Time: 114 minutes
Ratings:
Script - 7
Performance - 9
Direction - 8
Cinematography - 9
Music/Sound - 8
Editing - 8
Production - 10
Total - 8.0 out of 10.0
