Having read Max Brooks’ dramatic “oral history of the zombie war,” the aptly-titled World War Z, it was clear that filmmakers brave enough to tackle the project would be forced (or have the opportunity) to create characters and a narrative almost from scratch.  This proved to be a daunting task, as evidenced by the complete reshoot of the final act once principal photography of World War Z was complete.  Even so, what is onscreen is dramatic, compelling and hellishly effective.

A sudden sickness overwhelms and decimates Philadelphia one sunny morning, as the populace is rapidly turned into raging zombies within a matter of seconds of contact. Former U.N. investigator Brad Pitt manages to get his family to relative safety before the city is overwhelmed, and they are rescued by the military — with the caveat that Pitt help determine the source of the disease and aid the search for a cure.  Massive global mayhem follows.

Marc Forster’s film is structured around five strategic set pieces: the brutal outbreak in Philadelphia, a dangerous night trip into South Korea to locate the initial flashpoint, a visit to walled Jerusalem for further information, a hellish plane ride to Wales, and a laboratory in Wales where Pitt’s theories about the outbreak are put to the ultimate test.  Each of these set pieces is impressive; however, Pitt’s visit to Jerusalem is both illuminating and harrowing.  That sequence by itself is worth the price of admission. The film’s climax is much more subdued, and perhaps is not the optimal solution to the drama, effective though it is.

I believe the film would have been even more impressive had the filmmakers fully accepted the gruesomeness of their subject and gone for an R rating.  It’s not that I revel in gore, but this PG-13 movie is sometimes more fantasy than nightmare.  This could have been a truly terrifying motion picture, a glimpse of zombie hell on Earth, given that the majority of the population fails to keep their humanity.  It’s pretty good anyway, but it could have been great.  ☆ ☆ ☆.  16 July 2013.