Directed By: Marc Forester
Written By: Damon Lindelof, Drew Goddard & Matthew Michael Carnahan
Screen Story By: J. Michael Stracynski & Matthew Michael Carnahan
Based On The Book By: Max Brooks
Cinematography By: Ben Seresin
Editor: Matt Cheese & Roger Barton
Cast: Brad Pitt, James Badge Dale, David Morse, Ruth Negga, Daniella Kertesz, Mireille Enos, Ludi Boekin,
Life for former United Nations investigator Gerry Lane and his family seems content. Suddenly, the world is plagued by a mysterious infection turning whole human populations into rampaging mindless zombies. After barely escaping the chaos, Lane is persuaded to go on a mission to investigate this disease. What follows is a perilous trek around the world where Lane must brave horrific dangers and long odds to find answers before human civilization falls.
Now let me start off by mentioning I avoided this film like the plague when it first came out. As A fan of the book watching what they had done seemed like a travesty. Especially once you see the what are supposed to be impressive zombies and they looked more like cartoons.
It would be easy to write this film off as just another zombie film and only zombies as it is in and can take the place of whatever villain and plague you need and can easily be faceless and not insulting.
This film already had a hard road ahead of it having to deliver a pg-13 rating which isn't easy especially when dealing with zombies, that usually require gore and graphic violence.
The film I have to say isn't the book, but it's not as bad or embarassing as I thought it would be. In the book we examine from different perspectives the oncoming zombie plague and is more dramatic as we get into personal history and the history of this particular apocalypse. Here we have Brad Pitt trying to find the cause but also a way to stop the plague. While having a bunch of axiom scenes. Luckily it's not the action epic it could have been with him as line warrior. Though throughout the film he is the smartest and toughest guy in the room. The film tries to stay true somewhat to the book as he travels he questions and finds out more information about the plague.
Matthew Fox had a bigger role in the film. He was a supporting character who in the end would be set up as a (human) villain for the sequel. Due to the constant re-writes and editing, his role in the final cut was reduced down to only 5 lines of dialogue.
A storyline that was deleted featured Gerry's wife having an affair with the para jumper from the helicopter from the rescue scene earlier in the film.
While the film is thrilling with a bunch of good action set pieces. it's hard to get really involved or scared when half of the scenes feel like you are watching a video game. Zombies by the hundreds disposable, but threatening when one on one. Yet obviously digital like half of the blood spilled. So it never has that level of reality needed. In fact the only moment that felt real was the pharmacy scene and when brad Pitt thinks he might have been infected and is ready to commit suicide if he begins to change within the next 60 seconds.
I even liked the obligatory scenes of him checking in and protecting his family, giving him added incentive to come back home safe.
The film feels a bit epic and brings more of a thriller element into many of the Action sequences, Rather than just tons of shooting and bullets. They feel dramatic and important rather than just throw away material that are there just to look cool. It is truly what saves the film from just feeling like a video game adaptation almost. The film has an urgency, but not a unrealistic one
Director Marc Forester impresses as he seems to grow as a director with each film. Here he shows a adeptness at big scenes of action with an element of thrills and chills. Showing he has come a long way from QUANTAM OF SOLACE.
The original cinematographer was Robert Richardson. He left the film near the end of principal photography to begin working on DJANGO UNCHAINED, so shooting was completed by Newton Thomas Sigel. Reshoots were shot by Ben Seresin. Richardson, who received sole credit in early promotional material, later had his name removed from the film, reportedly because it was converted to 3-D against his wishes, and Seresin was given sole credit instead.
The third act while t takes a level of disbelief is basically a rewrite as the film was finished and filmed but didn't have a satisfying third act as it was more action and more like brad Pitt turned warrior. The rewrite which took 3 writers fits in more with the tone of the film and it sets up a sequel but better yet can also be viewed as an ending and leaving this as a one off. Paramount executive Marc Evans and Adam Goodman, the president of production did not like the original cut (which has the Russian ending) as both men felt that it was incoherent and abrupt. They brought in Damon Lindelof to view the cut and he suggested to them either to add new scenes to improve the coherence or do a complete third-act rewrite and risk additional resource plus re-shoots. Lindelof recalled: "So when I gave them those two roads and they sounded more interested in Road B I was like, 'To be honest with you, good luck selling that to Paramount."
Originally, the film had a different ending: the plane lands in Moscow rather than crashing in Wales. The passengers are rounded up, and the elderly and sick are executed. Gerry is drafted into the Russian army. An unknown period of time passes, and we see Gerry fighting the zombies. He realizes the zombies are weak in the cold. The film ended with him getting back to the USA and leading a D-Day like invasion against the undead on the Oregon coast. The ending that was used instead made the movie less brutal and ended it with a glimpse of hope
The rewrite was almost at 60 pages long and cost an additional $20 million more. In addition to the new opening and the rewritten third act, the following snippets were added by Drew Goddard and Damon Lindelof, with Christopher McQarrie doing uncredited dialog sharpening:
• At the family breakfast, the TV news report of the zombie sighting.
• Rachel's asthma attack
• Gerry's phone call to Karen from South Korea to Jerusalem
Why Brad Pitt would see this as a franchise? I have no idea though maybe with the bulk of the book and it's stories he envisioned epic films exploring the landscape which would seem to fit more as a miniseries.
Damon Lindelof and Drew Goddard rewrote the screenplay in the middle of the production to create a whole new different third act.
This seems to be a studios idea of a zombie film, destroying them without the more decapitations instead more shooting in the head. Just like instead of the zombies feasting on humans they just want to bite and infect. The film feels more like a modern apocalypse film that happens to involve zombies and works on a grand global scale to involve all cultures. Instead of a small story in a limited location. It's nice to see a bigger zombie tale.
It would be too easy to label this as a trend and cash in, this film actually seems thought out and smarter than it should be.
I mean, I can honestly say I wasn't bored and rarely rolled my eyes. A good popcorn film
Worth a purchase on DVD on Blu-Ray and for under 14.95
Grade: C+
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