In less than three months after its theatrical release, Brad Pitt's zombie blockbuster epic World War Z (based on the book by Max Brooks) arrives in a 3D Blu-ray/DVD edition on September 17, 2013. Although the film was mired by a tumultuous production (including a bloated budget of roughly $200 million), the movie found success at the box-office and is aiming to continue that ride into a home viewing experience.
Pitt plays Gerry Lane, a family man and former United Nations investigator who gets called back into action when a zombie-virus pandemic quickly decimates all corners of the globe. Lane is charged with discovering a solution to the apocalypse by the military and is dispatched to explore its origins overseas, with infested populations at every turn.
Directed by Marc Forster (Quantam Of Solace), War Z takes the zombie genre and escalates to a much broader scope over similarly-written works like 28 Days Later and The Walking Dead. The movie turns out to be pretty good, considering how much it showed signs of being a disappointment before it was released theatrically. Pitt carries the movie like a pro and holds a viewer firmly along with his character's globe-spanning journey.
The film is structured really well (thanks to the involvement of two script contributors; Damon Lindelof and J.Michael Straczynski), wasting no time getting into the crisis at a breakneck pace and then churning out one compelling sequence after another. There's no better examples than a harrowing plane crash piece and Gerry's efforts to sneak past an infected group at a virus research facility. The zombies here are frenetic creatures, viciously fast and behavioured much like a colonization of ants; a version of them that is unique to see unfold.
Some horror fans have criticised the film for its PG-rating, noting that a true zombie film shouldn't be afraid to let the blood and the gore fly. With that said, the 3D Blu-ray/DVD edition comes equipped with two versions of the movie; a theatrical cut and an extended version that runs roughly seven minutes longer and is unrated (resulting in more zombie attack intensity).
The 3D Blu-ray disc houses both options, but the option splits on the other discs. The regular Blu-ray HD disc contains the extended cut, while the standard DVD carries the theatrical version. The extended cut of World War Z will give horror fans a little more to chew on, but the theatrical cut still has plenty of edge, scares and thrills. It will go down as the most expensive zombie made to date, but thankfully none of it seems wasted on screen either way.
Experiencing the film in the 3D format is good but not perfect. The gimmick certainly works best in the massive zombie attacks on the public, with sweeping wide shots and the creatures flying ferociously at the screen. The conversion is definitely strong but for most of the film it's not an element that enhances the content all that much.
The high-definition quality of both Blu-ray discs is downright phenomenal. The 1080p image is stellar and essentially flawless in detail, while the DTS 7.1 HD Master Audio sound mix is a monster experience. The eerie sounds during quiet escapes provide a great aesthetic and the predatory noises that come out of the zombies in every speaker will stay with you long after.
The bonus features are not plentiful on World War Z's release, but it does come with some interesting featurettes. Among the content is the origins of the project and what led to Pitt's involvement as producer and star, experts discussing the science aspect of zombies in fiction and the film, plus a four-part production segment that puts the spotlight on the key sequences of the movie.
All in all, the 3D Blu-ray/DVD edition of World War Z is a solid pick-up. The film is certainly entertaining, the technical presentation is great and fans get a fair chunk of bonus material on it, although a commentary track with Pitt and Forster talking about filming the movie probably would have put this to a near perfect release. But regardless, it's a thrill-ride for sure.
