World War Z (3D) (DQ)

Stars: Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos, Daniella Kertesz, Matthew Fox, James Badge Dale, Peter Capaldi, Ruth Negga, David Andrews, John Gordon Sinclair, David Morse

Director: Marc Forster

The world is reeling under the onslaught of a global zombie invasion (aw, come on)! But never mind, Brad Pitt will save us all. Or at least, those of us that are left. And so he does. But, to be fair, the first two-thirds of this film are often really exciting, although the special effects are not always that special, and things do slow down a lot towards the end.

The zombie hordes are so huge that it seems nothing can stop the waves of snappers and biters; no staggering, lurching zombies these - they can move like lightning as they cut down their prey. 'Movement is life,' says Pitt. But in this case, movement is often death.

The star plays a UN specialist (retired) who gets called back to duty as an ideas man and, though he and his family only escape pursuing zombies by the skin of their teeth - in one of the film's most white-knuckle sequences - he's soon off to South Korea, where the source of the infection is said to have been, then on to Jerusalem, where a massive wall proves no defence - in an impressively horrific sequence, as thousands of zombies form a living(?) tower to scale it.

Acting, like some of the effects, is on the scratchy side, with one of the best performances coming from a zombiefied scientist towards the end; the actor (Michael Jenn) manages to evoke pity as well as menace. Dialogue, too, is hardly inspired, and director Forster scores heaviest with innovative non-speaking moments, such as when Pitt's wife (Enos) rings his mobile at the very moment when the slightest noise will bring forth a mass of screeching zombies. Six out of 10, then, but maybe seven for zombie fans: this is certainly one of the better entries in an overcrowded genre.

David Quinlan

USA 2013. UK Distributor: Paramount. Technicolor.
116 minutes. Widescreen. UK certificate: 15.

Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 0, Violence/Horror 2, Drugs 0, Swearing 1.

Review date: 15 Jun 2013